Cristiano Ronaldo passes on mantle to Kylian Mbappe as Juventus icon says ‘he is the present and the future’
CRISTIANO RONALDO is preparing to hand his position at the top of the game over to Kylian Mbappe after calling the French star “the future”. The duo are neck and neck in the goal stakes this season, each with 24 strikes in 29 matches across all competitions. And Ronaldo, who has jousted with Lionel Messi […]
CRISTIANO RONALDO is preparing to hand his position at the top of the game over to Kylian Mbappe after calling the French star “the future”.
The duo are neck and neck in the goal stakes this season, each with 24 strikes in 29 matches across all competitions.
And Ronaldo, who has jousted with Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or crown for over a decade, believes Mbappe has earned his place among the game’s elite.
In a promotional video for Nike, via MARCA, the Juventus star states: “Mbappe is the future and the present.
“He’s a fantastic player, very fast, and he will be the future.”
Both attackers are fighting for the Champions League once again this season, 35-year-old Ronaldo chasing his sixth title and Mbappe, at 21, seeking his first.
However the Frenchman drew a blank as his Paris Saint-Germain side lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund in their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Next week will see Ronaldo take his Juve side to Lyon for their first leg.
The two have actually been acquainted for some time, Mbappe visiting the Real Madrid training ground while the Portugal ace starred for Los Blancos.
With Ronaldo posters famously adorning his wall as a youngster, the winger insisted in 2017 that his fandom is over.
He stated: “He was the idol of my childhood and it was nice to meet him when I went to Valdebebas, but I am a competitor.
“And a competitive person wants to win, win and win. So it means little who is on front of us, we want to win.
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“I adored him when I was little, but that’s over.”
Cristiano is not the only Ronaldo to have heaped praise on Mbappe.
His quotes echo the sentiment of Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario when he evaluated the 2018 World Cup winner.
Nazario said: “I love him. He’s fast, can finish and he’s only 20 years old.”