Before the EURO 2024 quarter-final match with Portugal, French captain Kylian Mbappe praised his opponent and idol, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo of the Portuguese team.
Early tomorrow morning, July 6, France and Portugal will reenact the EURO 2016 final at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany. Both France and Portugal have been playing poorly since the beginning of the tournament, but fans still hope that the two teams will make changes to deliver a beautiful and exciting match.
Mbappe and Ronaldo are the two most notable names in the quarter-final match between France and Portugal.
The focus of this confrontation is none other than the two captains Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappe admires CR7 very much and considers the Portuguese player his idol.
Mbappe has just officially joined Real Madrid – where Ronaldo played very successfully and he is expected to be CR7’s “successor” at the Spanish Royal team.
Sharing before the match against Portugal, Mbappe had some “winged” words for his idol: “Everyone knows I admire Ronaldo. But right now, I’m really eager to face him.”
According to Mbappe, Ronaldo is a special player, a legend of world football: “Cristiano Ronaldo is unique. There will never be another player like him. He is an idol, someone who has inspired a generation. He is unique, a legend. He will always be a legend of this sport, but we hope to win tomorrow”.
Ronaldo is Mbappe’s childhood idol
Since childhood, Mbappe has shown absolute admiration for Ronaldo. The French player has had pictures on his wall with the Portuguese superstar. Mbappe even took a photo with his idol during a tour in Madrid when he was only 12 years old.
Talking about his relationship with his senior, the 25-year-old player said: “I had the opportunity to contact and talk to Ronaldo. We still talk to each other regularly. He is very caring and often asks about me. I have the opportunity to start my dream of playing for Real Madrid. I hope to write the history of Real Madrid. But Ronaldo’s story at Real Madrid is unique. I hope to do something unique. I have nothing but praise for him.”
Mbappe also did not forget to warn his teammates that the Portuguese team still has many other quality stars besides Ronaldo.
The French captain affirmed: “We should not focus on just one player. Other Portuguese players are also very dangerous like Rafael Leao or Bruno Fernandes. Therefore, we need to focus in all positions if we do not want to be disappointed.”
