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Mbappe's Evolving Admiration: From Ronaldo to Messi
7 Jul
Summary
- Mbappe was a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo as a child
- Mbappe grew to also admire Lionel Messi's brilliance
- Mbappe played alongside Messi at Paris Saint-Germain
In a resurfaced video from 2018-2020, Kylian Mbappe, the French football sensation, has disclosed his changing admiration for two of the game's greatest players: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
As a child, Mbappe was a huge fan of Ronaldo, with posters of the Portuguese icon adorning his bedroom walls. However, as he grew older, Mbappe also came to appreciate the brilliance of Messi, Ronaldo's long-time rival.
"I was a big fan of Cristiano when I was young," Mbappe said in the video. "But I grew up, and I like both now. I like Messi and Cristiano because what Messi does at Barcelona is really, really amazing and Cristiano, too, because he played at Manchester United, then Real Madrid and now Juventus. He does an amazing job wherever he goes."
Mbappe's comments suggest a maturation in his perspective, as he recognized the exceptional talents of both Ronaldo and Messi. In 2021, Mbappe even had the opportunity to play alongside Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, where the duo recorded 34 joint-goal contributions in 67 matches.
Despite his admiration for Ronaldo, Mbappe has also revealed that he would prefer to emulate the career path of the Portuguese legend rather than that of Messi. In 2020, he stated, "It's too late for me to have a career like Messi. I'd have to have stayed with Monaco. But without taking anything from Messi, I now have to be inspired by Cristiano's career."
True to his word, Mbappe followed in Ronaldo's footsteps by joining Real Madrid in 2022, further solidifying his connection to the Portuguese superstar.
