7 intriguing similarities between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe
Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps one of the greatest ever players to kick a football. He is the world record holder for the highest number of goals scored by a footballer in official football matches. As he approaches the latter stages of his career, he has still managed to keep himself in top form and in top shape.
With his blinding speed and breathtaking skills, Kylian Mbappe is a promising youngster who has taken the footballing world by storm. Watching Mbappe play is a pleasure and we can all agree that he will achieve great things.
To put things in perspective, Mbappe is the only player after the great Pele himself to win the FIFA World Cup as a teenager.
Mbappe is a massive fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. So it is no surprise that he wishes to be like his idol. There are striking similarities in the careers of Mbappe and Ronaldo.
#7 The media and fans have appointed a nemesis for both Mbappe and Ronaldo
It is natural for all top athletes to be compared to other top athletes. Ever since the beginning of his career, Ronaldo had been compared to numerous athletes like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney.
However, his rivalry with Lionel Messi is perhaps the most talked about. No rivalry in football comes close to this rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are always competing with each other for both individual and collective accolades.
Similarly, we are witnessing a new rivalry taking shape now. Like Mbappe, Erling Haaland is another promising, overachieving youngster who is impressing everyone. Hence, people are starting to compare both these talents. It is possible that we might see another rivalry similar to the Messi vs Ronaldo debate.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe making everyone take notice 🌟 https://t.co/hetsnOksQb
#6 Both Mbappe and Ronaldo broke the transfer record as a teenager
In 2003, the world record for a transfer fee paid for a teenager was smashed when Manchester United signed a young Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon. The amount that Manchester United paid for Ronaldo was £12.24 million. Taking inflation into consideration, £12.24 million was a lot of money back then.
In 2017, it was Paris Saint-Germain who broke the transfer record. The Paris-based club broke the transfer record not once but twice. First, they broke the all-time transfer record for the highest transfer fee ever paid for a player when they signed Neymar for €222 million from Barcelona.
PSG then went on to break the transfer record again. They broke the record for the highest amount paid for a teenager by paying a mouth-watering €180 million for Kylian Mbappe.
#5 Ronaldo and Mbappe have similar playing styles
Both Ronaldo and Mbappe have a tendency to show everyone that they are the best players on the pitch. They do not hold back and make sure to perform mesmerizing skills to dazzle the spectators and humiliate the defenders.
It was one of the best game of World Cup 2018.
France vs Argentina (4-3). #OnThisDay
Griezmann ⚽️
Pavard ⚽️
Mbappe ⚽️⚽️
Di Maria ⚽️
Mercado ⚽️
Aguero ⚽️
https://t.co/6s4J6KsFTZ
Both have a similar playing style, with sharp bursts of speed to fly past defenders and powerful shots with deadly accuracy. Although Ronaldo is unable to do the former as often as he used to due to his age, he is still very effective. They prefer the left side of the pitch and are always the most dangerous players on the field.