Germany great Lothar Matthäus said he is thrilled by Lionel Messi's performances at the World Cup but does not see the Argentina star as a serious candidate for world player of the year awards.

Given the 39-year-old plays in Major League Soccer for Inter Miami rather than at a top European club, he should not be voted as FIFA's Best or win the Ballon d'Or even if he lifts the World Cup again.

"The league Messi plays in is nowhere near the quality of where Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé or Erling Haaland play. They play in the top leagues in Europe," the 1990 World Cup winner told the Bild newspaper on Saturday.

"The world player of the year should have convinced throughout the whole year. Messi has convinced at Miami but the American league is still, let's say, not among the top 10, top 15 in the world," Matthäus added.

"Haaland and Kane have shown different levels of performances in the Champions League compared to Lionel Messi."

Messi has already won the award eight times in his illustrious career, including following Argentina's 2022 World Cup success.

His team play Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final in Kansas City later on Saturday.