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An old video of Kylian Mbappe discussing who he considers the best player between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has resurfaced. The Real Madrid forward disclosed that he was a huge fan of the Portuguese icon as a kid, but grew up to adore the Argentine legend.
The debate over who is the greatest of all time between Ronaldo and Messi has continued to divide fans. While many admire the former for his achievements and dedication to the game, others tilt towards the latter for his sheer brilliance and talent.
Mbappe, meanwhile, has been known to be a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman had posters of Cristiano Ronaldo on his bedroom walls as a child and has repeatedly imitated the Portuguese legend throughout his career.
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However, an old clip has resurfaced, which shows the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward admitting he also admires Ronaldo's archrival, Lionel Messi. In the video posted by Instagram user Karen Lai, Mbappe was asked his favorite player between the two football greats.
He said:
"I was a big fan of Cristiano when I was young. I started to love Messi too because when you are a big fan of Cristiano when you are young, you can't see how Messi is good because you love Cristiano. But I grew up, and I like both now."
"I like Messi and Cristiano because what Messi does at Barcelona is really, really amazing and Cristiano, too, because he played at Manchester United, then Real Madrid and now Juventus. He does an amazing job wherever he goes," he added.
Mbappe's comment suggests that the video was made between 2018 and 2020, when Messi was still at Barcelona and Ronaldo was on the books of Juventus. The 26-year-old went on to play alongside the Argentine after the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to PSG from Barca in 2021 on a free transfer.
The duo were teammates at the French club for two seasons, and recorded 34 joint-goal contributions in 67 matches played together. Meanwhile, Mbappe is yet to play with Ronaldo, but has faced the 40-year-old five times across matches for club and country.
Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? When Kylian Mbappe revealed whose career path he wants to emulate
During an interview in January 2020, Kylian Mbappe revealed that he would want to emulate the career path of Cristiano Ronaldo rather than that of Lionel Messi. He told Gazzetta dello Sport (via Marca):
"If you're French, then of course you grow up with Zidane as your idol. Another of mine was Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom I've already been able to measure myself against as an opponent, with the national team as well.
"It's too late for me to have a career like Messi. I'd have to have stayed with Monaco. But without taking anything from Messi, I now have to be inspired by Cristiano's career."
Four years after the above interview, Mbappe followed in the career path of Ronaldo by joining Real Madrid. He also imitated the Portuguese during his unveiling as a Los Blancos player.
