The age long debate of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t eluded anyone, and the same question has been many a times put forward to one of the heirs to this rivalry, Kylian Mbappe. However, the 23-year-old, who is known to have special admiration for Ronaldo has had to rather come forward with a diplomatic answer since he now shares the dressing room with Messi at PSG.
But one of his PSG teammates, Abdou Diallo, who is currently out on loan at RB Leipzig, might have just spoken the France superstar’s heart out. Diallo has claimed in his recent interview while speaking about Mbappe, Messi and Ronaldo that PSG No.7 has a clear winner among the two. Mbappe and Diallo were teammates for three years between 2019 to 2022, before the defender was loaned to Leipzig this summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo is literally everything to Kylian Mbappe – Diallo
Often compared his playing style and monster mentality to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, there’s no surprise Kylian Mbappe idolised the Portuguese star growing up. Even before Leo Messi arrived as his teammate at PSG, Mbappe has many a times admitted that Ronaldo, for him is the best player ever and that he still idolises him. And now, Diallo has just confirmed the same, as he told The Daily Mail:
“Cristiano Ronaldo is literally everything to Kylian Mbappe. If you mention Lionel Messi against Cristiano, Mbappe will debate with you for at least an hour. For him, Cristiano is untouchable.”
Mbappe’s admiration for Ronaldo is no hidden fact, although he plies his trade alongside Messi. The France international also dropped a ‘GOAT’ comment on Ronaldo’s recent Instagram post after Portugal crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinals at the hands of Morocco. That ended Ronaldo’s dream of finally winning the World Cup trophy that had bee missing from his cabinet, but the same dream is still on for his eternal rival Messi who plays the final against Mbappe’s France on Sunday.
And more ironically, this World Cup has all been about Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, than his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. Both Mbappe and Messi have 5 goals a piece for their respective nations leading to the final, and are fighting for the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball as well alongside the World Cup trophy. Certainly, the winner on Sunday takes it all home, but there’s more for Messi in it.
A win against France in the final will see the former Barcelona star lift the World Cup trophy, which would then certainly cement his name as the GOAT, above Ronaldo. The Portugal captain had a tournament to forget, having scored just one goal in five games, and starting his sides last 16 and quarterfinal games on the bench. His feud with manager Fernando Santos too became one of the unwanted talking points at the tournament, who has now been sacked after the World Cup debacle.
Nonetheless, Messi and Mbappe will now go from teammates to rivals when their respective nations step out on the field on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium to battle it out in the World Cup final. There’s certainly going to be joy for one and agony for other between the two PSG teammates, while a free agent Ronaldo will be busy somewhere else finding himself a new club before club football resumes next week.