On June 11, 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo inked a deal for Real Madrid from Manchester United in a whooping £80 million transfer record, becoming the most expensive footballer at that time.
Cristiano Ronaldo was given the Number 9 jersey because his preferred Number 7 jersey was occupied by Raúl González, but the rest was history for the Portuguese youngster.
Ronaldo’s stint at Real Madrid isn’t something you need someone to walk you through. He apparently won every single club trophy(excluding the Europa league trophy because Madrid always qualified for the UCL during his reign) you can possibly think of during his tenure at Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé seem to have similar playing styles, athleticism, and goal-scoring prowess. It’s therefore understandable that this parallels between Mbappé and Ronaldo has widespread backing.
In a nod to the next generation, three time World Cup winner, Pelé, believed Mbappé possessed the speed, skill and goal-scoring prowess to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps and reach the pinnacle of soccer success.
“Mbappe has what it takes to become the new Ronaldo. He is fast, skillful, and he has a great sense of where the goal is. If he keeps improving, he can reach the same level.”
French football legend, Thierry Henry, also contributed to this discussion, predicting the French star can match Cristiano Ronaldo’s impressive goalscoring prowess, thanks to their shared speed and versatility on the pitch.
”Kylian can be like Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his goalscoring. He has the same speed and the same ability to play on the wings or as a central striker.”
“Mbappe is the new Cristiano Ronaldo. He has similarities with Thierry Henry, but he is more of a finisher like Ronaldo.” Legendary former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger also likened Mbappé to Ronaldo.
Of course Kylian Mbappé has asserted that the five time Balon d’or winner[Cristiano Ronaldo] is his idol and who knows ? perhaps that influenced his playing style.
“He is a hero from my childhood but I am a competitor. I admired him when I was younger”
Today, July 16, 2024, Kylian Mbappé Lottin was unveiled in front of 80,000 spectators at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. He was given the number 9 jersey just as Cristiano Ronaldo because his preferred number 10 or 7 jersey is occupied by Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior respectively.
During Mbappé’s presentation, he revealed that joining Real Madrid had been a life long ambition for him .
“I spent endless nights dreaming about one day playing for Real Madrid and today I am one happy guy. My family are so happy here, I can see my mum crying. It’s an incredible day for me, I’ve dreamt of this day since I was a kid and this day means a lot to me.”
The 25-year-old French striker inked a five-year agreement with Madrid in July, after the expiry of his Paris St-Germain contract.
France’s deep run in Euro 2024, where they ultimately fell to Spain in the semifinals, postponed Mbappé’s official unveiling.
With many drawing parallels between Mbappé and Ronaldo in terms of playing style, and Mbappé himself admitting Ronaldo is his idol, it’s intriguing to note that Mbappé now dons the number 9 jersey, just as Ronaldo did when he began his career at Real Madrid. The question I am asking is: Can Mbappé tap into Ronaldo’s splendid legacy at Real Madrid? Let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the movie of Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid unfold.
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Story by: Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
