90min
·20 décembre 2024
90min
·20 décembre 2024
Kylian Mbappe has admitted his disappointment towards never getting the chance to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe grew up a Real Madrid fan and his father has previously named Ronaldo as his "idol", with the French forward understood to have had posters of Ronaldo all over his bedroom wall as a child.
The pair have shared the pitch previously but only as opponents. Ronaldo netted three goals across two games as Madrid beat Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain in the 2017/18 Champions League last 16, while they have also faced off three times on the international stage with Portugal and France.
"I've played with great players: Lionel Messi, Neymar, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Paul] Pogba, [Karim] Benzema... It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo," Mbappe told beIN SPORTS.
"It's going to be very difficult now, but I was lucky enough to play against him, a legend of the sport."
The chance to link up with Ronaldo may have passed him by, but Mbappe may get one more chance to work closely with another Real Madrid legend as Relevo state Karim Benzema is exploring a behind-the-scenes role with the La Liga giants when he retires.
Benzema, who played 342 games alongside Ronaldo for Madrid, is reportedly considering retiring with Al Ittihad next summer and is keen to return to his former employers, with an ambassadorial role already lined up for him when he does eventually hang up his boots.