Portuguese star and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about Kylian Mbappe’s first season with the Spanish giants. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner shared his thoughts on the Frenchman’s present and sent a message to Los Blancos fans.
“Real Madrid fans, take care of this young man. He is very good and will become a great player,” Ronaldo told Edu Aguirre of El Chiringuito in a preview clip from a longer interview set to be released on Monday.
“Real Madrid must help and protect him, and there is no doubt that he will bring a lot of happiness to the fans,” he added. Ronaldo’s comments come after Mbappe faced some early-season struggles before finding his rhythm and scoring at a pace that could surpass Ronaldo’s debut stats.
Ronaldo also spoke about his admiration for Mbappe. “I love him very much—not just because of his story, how he looked up to me when he was young, but because I see him as a great and decisive player. I believe he will bring a lot of joy to Real Madrid fans.”
Kylian Mbappe (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Mbappe has frequently expressed his admiration for the Al Nassr star. “I had a lot of idols. There was Cristiano Ronaldo, who I loved a lot. And during this time, we had Ronaldo and Messi, and I had the chance to play with Neymar […] They are the players I admired a lot,” he told beIN Sports in 2020.
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While praising Mbappe, Ronaldo also weighed in on his challenges playing as a traditional No. 9. “It’s difficult for him because he doesn’t know how to play as a striker. In my opinion, that’s not his position,” he said in the preview.
“If I were at Real Madrid, I would have taught him how to play in this role. I wasn’t a striker either—I played on the wing. People forget that because I scored goals, but I was never a true No. 9,” Ronaldo explained.
Mbappe initially struggled to find the net in LaLiga, but he is now in contention for the Pichichi. He ranks second in the league’s scoring charts with 15 goals, trailing leader Robert Lewandowski by three. Across all competitions, Mbappe has scored 21 goals in 33 games this season.
