French national team captain Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid striker, has chosen a list of the 4 best players in the history of football.
Mbappe's list, which he revealed during his appearance in a video for the "Complex" platform, included Argentina's Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario, and France's Zinedine Zidane.
Mbappe's choice of the quartet came in response to a question posed to him to identify his own "Mount Rushmore" in football, i.e., the four players he considers the best in history, to which he mentioned Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario and Zidane, without a specific order.
Mbappe's path intersected with those of the four names during his career, as he has a different story with each of them, whether through admiration and influence in his childhood years, playing alongside them, a personal relationship, or working under their technical leadership.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of names that have left a clear mark on Mbappe’s career, as the French striker has not hidden his admiration for the Portuguese star over the years, who was his idol when he was a child.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Mbappe spoke about the dramatic shift in his relationship with Ronaldo, saying that the Portuguese player was his idol, before the relationship evolved over time into a genuine friendship.
Mbappe said of Ronaldo: "He was my idol, and now he is my friend. I love spending time with him, he gives me advice and supports me, and he knows that I will always support him."
Mbappe played alongside Messi at Paris Saint-Germain between 2021 and 2023, before the Argentine star moved to Inter Miami, and that period witnessed a collaboration between two of the most prominent football stars in the world.
Mbappe has always spoken highly of Messi, and has continued to acknowledge the value of the experience he had alongside him, despite the competition that brought them together at different times for individual awards and records.
Mbappe's list also included Ronaldo Nazario "The Phenomenon", one of the most influential strikers in the history of football.
Ronaldo "the Phenomenon" holds a special place in Mbappe's heart, who has previously spoken of his admiration for the player during his childhood. His presence in the list of the four best players in history also reflects the French striker's appreciation for the legacy left by "the Phenomenon" in the striker position.
Mbappe and Ronaldo also share a common factor related to Real Madrid, as the Brazilian star wore the royal club's jersey between 2002 and 2007, while Mbappe fulfilled his dream of moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The fourth name on Mbappe’s list is Zinedine Zidane, a choice that carries a special personal dimension, after the French player became associated with the French legend since his childhood years.
Mbappe recently spoke about his first meeting with Zidane when the former Real Madrid player was responsible for taking him to the club's training center during a trial period when Mbappe was 13 or 14 years old.
Now, some 15 years after that meeting, Zidane has become the coach of the French national team, overseeing Mbappe's training within the "Les Bleus" squad, in a transformation that the Real Madrid striker described as resembling a "movie".
Mbappe's selection of the quartet comes at a time when the player is experiencing a new phase with Real Madrid under the leadership of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho.
Mbappe made a strong start in terms of goalscoring in the Spanish league, scoring 6 goals and providing one assist in the first five matches.
This start comes after an exceptional previous season on an individual level, in which Mbappe finished as the top scorer in the Spanish League and the Champions League, after scoring 25 goals in La Liga and 15 goals in the Champions League, in addition to breaking the record for the number of World Cup goals.
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