“He makes his partners better” – Ex-PSG star labels 24-year-old superstar as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Daniel Bravo has labeled Kylian Mbappe as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The 24-year-old has already won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France and won the Golden Boot in December at the Qatar World Cup. He is currently one of Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) crown jewels, registering 30 goals and eight assists in 30 games across competitions this term.
He has made it a habit to turn up on big occasions for club and country and is widely regarded as one of this generation's very best players. For Bravo, there is no one better than him right now - not even Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Kylian Mbappe has come a long way 😤 https://t.co/DjtwFk5qMr
He labeled Mbappe as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo and told French outlet Telefoot (h/t GOAL):
"He is so intelligent that he knows what he needs to do to improve. So we don’t know where he can go. For me, he is the heir to Messi-Ronaldo. Today, for me, he is the best player in the world. He makes his partners better. He gives strength to the team. It scares the opponent, who is forced to retreat a little more."
Lionel Messi won 2022 FIFA The Best Men's Player Award on 27 February in Paris. He is also an early favorite to win his eighth Ballon d'Or award later this year. If he manages that, he will steer three clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's tally of five Ballon d'Or wins.
How are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo performing for their respective teams this season?
Lionel Messi has had a superb campaign with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) so far, scoring 18 goals and providing 16 assists in 29 games across competitions.
He is a major reason behind his team's eight-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table after 26 games. PSG, however, trail Bayern Munich 1-0 in their two-legged UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Enzo Fernández: “After the final with France, I said thank you to Messi for never abandoning us and always trying. I always supported him.” @gastonedul 🗣️🇦🇷 https://t.co/GRLy1WVgMp
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, has had an impressive 2023 with Al-Nassr. He left Manchester United by mutual consent in November after starting just four times in the Premier League under manager Erik ten Hag.
He has since scored eight goals and provided two assists across competitions for his new club. The 38-year-old also had a disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar, with Portugal being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Morocco.
Messi, meanwhile, won the trophy and lifted the Golden Ball trophy for his performances.