Kylian Mbappé has praised his Idol Cristiano Ronaldo as “unique”, this comes ahead of France’s quarterfinal match against Portugal on Friday, mentioning how often they communicate. Mbappé’s long-time admiration for Ronaldo is well known; when the player’s recently joined Real Madrid free transfer was revealed, the captain of France shared a photo of the two of them at the Madrid training complex in 2012.
Ahead of the game in Hamburg while answering questions at the news conference on Thursday in what might be the end of the road for any of the players, Kylian Mbappé said of the former Manchester United Star: “It’s truly an honor; everyone knows the respect I have for him. He is still a legend, and we are in contact, but I hope tomorrow that we can win. We have to appreciate who he is and what he has done—he is a unique player. His CV speaks for itself.”
When responding to whether he wanted to replicate Cristiano Ronaldo after making the long-expected move to Madrid, the club where the Portuguese Superstar is the all-time top goal scorer, the new Madrid player said “There is only one of him. I just want to follow my own path. I hope I will write a great story in Madrid, but it will be different.”
Mbappé and France are still trying to discover the feat that helped them win the 2018 World Cup. In Euro 2024 both have struggled for fluency. France and Mbappe are still searching so hard for their first goal from open play in four games, and have to rely on a penalty from the former World Cup winner and own goals to progress to the quarterfinal in the ongoing competition. The latest came from the most Cap Belgium player Jan Vertonghen during a difficult round-of-16 contest.
The lack of free-flowing football has created worries among the French fans, though at the news conference earlier today, the manager Didier Deschamps appeared unbothered. “There are people who may not be happy, but I have seen happy people. It is more exciting to win 5-4, that’s for sure,” The former PSG star said. “The critics, you are there to do your job. They have always been part of my daily life. Today, it does not stop me from living in peace.”