Kylian Mbappé pays tribute to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappé is looking far ahead. When asked about the length of his career, the Real Madrid forward displayed unwavering ambition, not without humor: “Me, I see myself playing until I’m 100 if necessary!” The Frenchman then mentioned the two players who dominated world football during his youth: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While he refuses to directly compare himself to the Argentine, Mbappé acknowledges a special dimension to the 2022 World Cup champion.

« Messi is Messi. I consider myself a different player. But he is a different player among different players ,” he explained. He expressed the same admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, whose influence on his generation is considerable. “Cristiano too… They are in the same category. You may prefer one or the other depending on your football sensibility, but you must have recognition and respect for what they have done and continue to do”, the Frenchman emphasized.

Mbappé emphasizes especially their ability to carry their national team through several editions of the World Cup. For him, their longevity at the highest level constitutes an exceptional achievement. The Madrid player finally believes that Messi and Ronaldo have profoundly transformed the perception of football. “They belong to a different era. In their category, there are only two. I am from the generation after, I drew inspiration from them. They changed the codes, the idea we have of football. There is a before and an after,” he concluded.