Better than Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo: Kylian Mbappe reveals how he keeps himself motivated
Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has revealed how he keeps himself motivated, highlighting how having an ego is important to go the extra mile.
Mbappe said he tells himself that he is better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo before every match, even though he knows that the duo are better players than him. The tactic, Kylian Mbappe said, helps him give his best.
While in conversation with RMC Sport, Kylian Mbappe said:
"The ego? Of course, it's important because when you're in the rough, no one else is going to push you. And you have to convince yourself that you are capable of toppling mountains.
"People don't understand ego but when you are not well there is no one who will come to your house to tell you that you can do that. It's just you and your mindset. It's just you. You have to convince yourself that you are capable of doing great things.
"Every time I go on a pitch I always tell myself that I'm the best and yet I have played on grounds where there was Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are better players than me, they have done a billion more things than me. But, in my head, I always tell myself that I'm the best because that way you don't give yourself limits and you try to give your best."
Mbappe further said in this regard:
"Of course, sometimes people do not understand because I think there is perhaps also this barrier which is created in relation to this subject, where one does not really explain what the ego is.
"For people, the ego is just not giving a friend a penalty, having a better salary than the player of the rival team. It's not just that, it's also in the preparation. It's a personal thing, to surpass yourself, it's way beyond that superficial thing of saying 'me, me'. But I think there is quite a bit to be said about it."
Kylian Mbappe, along with Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, is widely believed to take over the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly in the near future.
How Kylian Mbappe has fared this season as compared to Messi and Ronaldo
Kylian Mbappe has scored 30 goals for PSG this season across competitions, 20 of which have come in Ligue 1, making him the current top-scorer in the league.
With six goals in the UEFA Champions League, he is also the joint second-highest goalscorer in Europe's premier competition this season. Kylian Mbappe has also provided nine assists to his teammates.
Lionel Messi has 29 goals and 13 assists to his name in 37 matches so far this season for Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored 31 goals in 35 matches for Juventus across competitions and provided four assists.