Rivaldo believes Kylian Mbappe "must leave" Paris Saint-Germain for LaLiga or the Premier League to confirm himself as the heir to superstar Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mbappe has established himself as one of the best forwards in the world, having claimed silverware with Monaco and PSG, while he helped France to World Cup glory in 2018.

The 20-year-old sensation – who has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or – continues to be linked with LaLiga giants Real Madrid following his exploits for the Ligue 1 holders in Paris.

While Rivaldo doubts the chances of former club Barcelona signing Mbappe, he called on the Frenchman to leave PSG to fulfil his enormous potential.

"I think it would be tough for Barcelona to sign him in the future, as he is very expensive due to his young age, world champion status and natural ability that makes him one of the biggest prospects in the world of football," Rivaldo told Betfair.com.

"If Barca had so many problems in trying to sign Neymar, just imagine how much PSG would be asking for the Frenchman, so it's almost impossible to bring this excellent player to Catalonia at the moment.

"There's no doubt Mbappe has the qualities to become one of the best in the world, as he is playing great football and has huge potential. He would be able to develop his talent by playing LaLiga or the Premier League. Ligue 1 is clearly below the competitive level of Spain or England.

"With all due respect to PSG, I believe he must leave for a Spanish or big English team in the future to confirm himself as the heir to Messi or Ronaldo. The best players need to play in the best leagues."

Mbappe came off the bench and scored a hat-trick in a devastating performance as PSG routed Club Brugge 5-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The PSG star became the youngest player to score 15 Champions League goals aged 20 years, 306 days, eclipsing Barca's Messi – who was 21 years, 288 days.

Mbappe has scored six goals across all competitions for Thomas Tuchel's PSG this season.