French football sensation and current Real Madrid star, Kylian Mbappé has often expressed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
In a recent interview, Mbappé revealed his long-standing wish to have played alongside Ronaldo, a player he idolized from a young age. This sentiment was shared during a post-match discussion following Real Madrid's triumphant 3-0 victory over Pachuca, which secured the Intercontinental Cup for the Spanish giants.
Reflecting on his journey, Mbappé recalled his first encounter with Ronaldo at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training center back in December 2012. At that time, Ronaldo was already a galáctico, while Mbappé was just an aspiring teenager from Paris, dreaming of making it big in the world of football.
A photograph from that day captures a starstruck Mbappé standing beside a smiling Ronaldo, who was giving a thumbs-up. This meeting left a lasting impression on the young Frenchman, who would go on to model his game after the Portuguese superstar.
Fast forward to today, and Mbappé finds himself in a position where he is not only playing for the same club that Ronaldo once graced but also potentially stepping into the role of being the new face of Real Madrid.
Despite this, Mbappé has openly stated, "It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo." He acknowledges the challenge of this dream becoming a reality, given Ronaldo's current tenure with Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and his advancing age. However, Mbappé cherishes the opportunity he had to play against Ronaldo, describing him as "a legend of the sport."
Mbappé's admiration for Ronaldo goes beyond mere words. As a teenager, his bedroom walls in Bondy, a suburb of Paris, were adorned with posters of Ronaldo. He spent countless hours watching videos of Ronaldo's goals on YouTube, studying his techniques and emulating his style.
This deep-rooted admiration was evident when Mbappé's transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid was finalized in June 2024. Ronaldo himself commented on Mbappé's announcement on Instagram, stating, "It's my turn to watch," a message that resonated with millions of fans worldwide.
The parallels between Mbappé's career trajectory and Ronaldo's are striking. Both players made their names at smaller clubs—Ronaldo at Sporting Lisbon and Mbappé at AS Monaco—before moving to major European powerhouses.
Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of €94 million catapulted him to global stardom, a path that Mbappé is now following. The expectations are high for Mbappé, who is seen as one of the best strikers in the world, to replicate or even surpass Ronaldo's achievements at the Bernabéu.
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