As the greatest sporting show in the world begins next week, all eyes will be on football’s two household names of the last quarter-century: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.Ronaldo and Messi are not just living legends – they are active legends, still playing at an elite standard for club and country.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4World Cup contenders: Can Deschamps convert France’s talent into glory?list 2 of 4From Messi to Yamal: Top 10 superstars to watch at FIFA World Cup 2026list 3 of 4Who are the Golden Boot favourites at World Cup 2026?list 4 of 4African powerhouse Morocco eye World Cup 2026 glory despite AFCON falloutend of listFor the past five World Cups, they have been the names on everyone’s lips, but as the 2026 tournament begins, has a new player emerged to challenge their mainstream appeal with fans and brands alike?The player most often mentioned in that conversation is sublimely talented Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe, who jumped straight into the two legends shoes as one of the best and most recognisable stars in Europe once they departed the continent to begin new football chapters in the Middle East (Ronaldo) and the United States (Messi).Mbappe’s World Cup career arc has, in some ways, already surpassed the Ronaldo-Messi duo: World Cup winner at just 19, Golden Boot winner at 23. In comparison, Messi was 35 when he attained a World Cup trophy, and Ronaldo is yet to win one.Now, with Ronaldo, 41, and Messi, 38, playing in what is almost certainly their last World Cup, has the popularity torch already been passed to Mbappe as we enter the 2026 edition?With the World Cup about to kick off, Al Jazeera Sport breaks down some key metrics to determine who has more star power heading into football’s global showpiece:1. Which player is selling out the World Cup 2026 matches?⚽ Advantage: MessiTickets to Messi’s Argentina group stage matches were the first to be completely sold out.FIFA said in November that Argentina fans topped ticket sales before the first official release, ostensibly to see Messi in his swan song and also due to his huge profile in the US as the superstar of the domestic Major League Soccer (MLS).Tickets to Mbappe’s France fixtures and Ronaldo’s Portugal group stage matches eventually sold out as well, though resale sites such as Stubhub have listed tickets for the blockbuster Portugal vs Colombia match in Miami on June 27 at a staggering $3,000-$12,000. Portugal’s other two group stage matches were listed in the $750-$2,000 range.