Kylian Mbappe previously stated his opinions on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi debate for the title of greatest player of all time, but the Paris Saint-Germain star now seems to have changed his mind.
The star of Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe appears to have made a sharp about-face regarding who he thinks is superior to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two forwards have developed a spirited rivalry over the course of their individual careers, which peaked during their time with Real Madrid and Barcelona. After finally winning a World Cup championship medal in Qatar last year, it seemed that Messi had put the discussion to rest.
Messi’s glorious campaign has also seems to have definitively changed the mind of his PSG teammate Mbappe. The Frenchman was previously a huge admirer of Portuguese icon Ronaldo.
The striker’s father admitted that the veteran was among Mbappe’s heroes within the game. Speaking in 2016, he said: “He [Mbappe] is a Real Madrid fan and his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. He used to spend hours watching videos [of Ronaldo] on the internet.”
That was a claim that was backed up by Mbappe’s former teammate Abdou Diallo. He previously suggested that the striker was under no illusions over who was better.
Speaking in December, the defender said: “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 performed his change of opinion on social media in the aftermath of The Best FIFA Awards. A glitzy ceremony was held in Paris on Monday evening to celebrate the best players in both the men’s and the women’s game in 2022.
Messi was named as the Best Men’s Player of the Year following his outstanding performances as Argentina lifted the World Cup, whilst he has also managed to find electric form. The veteran was also named in the FIFPRO Men’s World XI alongside his club teammate Mbappe.
The latter issued his response to the pair’s evening, whilst sending his congratulations to Messi with a telling message. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Another trophy at home. Big congratulations to @leomessi you are #TheBest.”