LAGOS, Nigera (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe has reportedly downplayed his rivalry with Erling Haaland while praising the “eternal” team of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Many people believe that the record-breaking forward for Manchester City will confront the Frenchman in a similar long-term challenge that two of the greatest players in the history of the game have set.
The competition between Messi and Ronaldo has continued for almost two decades, and discussions about the “GOAT” are still ongoing.
Although Mbappe is eager to disassociate himself from comparisons to Haaland, he instead chose to acknowledge the “exceptional era” that Messi and Ronaldo contributed to.
La Gazzetta dello Sport questioned Mbappe and Haaland about if their battle could compare to that of two players who had won a combined 12 Ballon d’Ors. The Frenchman responded, “Things should be read differently.
“The existence of two players like Messi and Ronaldo at such heights for such a long time probably occurs once every fifty years or more. I hope the fans take advantage of the incredible time we lived in.
“I had the good fortune to play against Cristiano, then against and with Leo; they are both incredibly talented.
“Particularly over these two seasons with Messi, I picked up a lot from them. They are immortal because they created the history of football.
Mbappe notes that the 24-year-old and Messi had two “special” years together at PSG, but both players appear to be leaving the Parc des Princes this summer, albeit in different ways.
The Argentine star announced last week that he was moving to the Major League Soccer with an extraordinary agreement to join Inter Miami.
READ ALSO: Mbappe Sweeps Off Messi To Win Best Player Of The Year
Meanwhile, Mbappe’s future is once again in limbo as the World Cup winner from 2018 reportedly wants to stay in Paris for just one more season, while PSG wants to cash in this summer.
The French capital appears to have another hectic transfer window in store, and Ronaldo’s situation in Saudi Arabia appears to be the same.
While the Portuguese has seen Chelsea duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech linked with his present employers, Al-Nassr, a number of world superstars have already sealed deals to the Gulf state.