Mbappe once called Ronaldo his idol, and when he was 14, his bedroom at home in Bondy, a suburb northeast of Paris, was covered in photos of Ronaldo. He would watch videos of Ronaldo scoring goals on YouTube.Mbappé has admired Ronaldo for years, dating back to their initial meeting in 2012 at the Real Madrid training grounds. Following his transfer from PSG to Real Madrid, Mbappé commemorated the occasion by sharing a picture of their encounter. Ronaldo, aged 39, once dominated the football world alongside Lionel Messi as one of the sport's premier players.

In 2009, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009, and the news of Paris Saint-Germain's free transfer to Real Madrid was confirmed. He played for Real Madrid for nine seasons. In the 2013-14 season, Ronaldo led Real Madrid to win the Champions League and Copa del Rey. However, he chose to leave Real Madrid on July 10, 2018 after his request for a salary increase failed. Mbappe made his name at Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, and a move to Real Madrid in 2024 would catapult his star status to another level, just like Ronaldo did in 2009. Ronaldo moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid 15 years ago for a then-world-record fee of €94 million, and it was a natural fit for one of the best players in the world to join the biggest club in the world. Mbappe's experience is similar to Ronaldo's now.

French star Kylian Mbappe expresses his excitement at the prospect of facing Cristiano Ronaldo in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, considering it an honor. He also shares his aspiration to carve out a unique legacy at Real Madrid akin to the legendary status of Ronaldo. In 2024, Ronaldo and Mbappe face very different pressures in the Spanish capital. Mbappe is at the peak of his powers and is expected to score goals to help France win the title. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is trying to prove he's still worthy of staying with Portugal. Both have had ups and downs with Germany. Mbappe scored a penalty against Poland in the group stage, but his condition was not ideal due to a nose injury sustained in the first game against Austria and he wore a mask to protect himself. Mbappe didn't get what he wanted either. Mbappe was in a team that relied too much on Mbappe's magical performance in the European Cup, rather than relying on a sophisticated offensive system to win games. In the 2024 European Cup, the Spanish team finally defeated the French team 2-1 and advanced to the finals of this European Cup. The French team was the runner-up. Ronaldo, in his sixth European Championship appearance, is yet to score and missed a penalty in overtime against Slovenia. But he scored in the penalty shootout to help the Portuguese team advance. The Portuguese team ranks eighth in the 2024 European Cup.

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Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo in Euro 2024

Mbappe was full of praise for the 39-year-old forward and said it would be Ronaldo's last European Championship appearance.“Everyone knows just how much I admire Cristiano Ronaldo as a player,” Mbappé said in a pre-match news conference. Mbappe considers himself lucky to have played alongside him, to know him and to talk to him. He is always helping me and giving me some advice. Mbappe said Ronaldo has made a great contribution to the football world. No matter what happens before or after, he will become a football legend.Mbappé recently signed for Real Madrid, where Ronaldo starred from 2009-18, and now he could bring an end to his rival’s European Championship career. “I am following my own path. My dream of playing at Real Madrid is coming a reality. I hope that I will also be able to mark football but I am not going to write the next chapter of Cristiano Ronaldo’s story. I hope I will be able to be one of a kind at Real Madrid and be completely different.”Mbappé, who was the top scorer at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals, has netted only once in three games at Euro 2024 — from the penalty spot — as the French struggle to get their attacking game flowing.

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YOU'RE THE RON Cristiano Ronaldo in touching moment with Kylian Mbappe as Frenchman calls Portugal icon ‘GOAT and idol’ ahead of Messi

Ronaldo's glory days are coming to an end, including his success at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Mbappe can only hope he can match it. Ronaldo, 39, is approaching the end of his final days as European football's preeminent global star. Mbappe is one of the people to succeed him. Mbappe has been open about taking inspiration from Ronaldo, but it could end up being part of the career-ender for his hero. Ronaldo has said that if Portugal loses to France in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, it will be his last European Cup.

Twenty years ago, a teenage Ronaldo scored his first international goal at Euro 2004 and won his first and only international trophy at Euro 2016. People were a bit surprised when he confirmed he would not feature in other competitions, even though he will be 43 by the time Euro 2028 kicks off. After a career spanning two decades and more than 1,000 professional games, there is no longer any speculation as to when he will retire. It's still possible that he could continue playing until the 2026 World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal praying for a goal during the UEFA Euro 2004

Remember Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final and had a Ronaldo-like number of goals early in his career. By the age of 25, he had scored 48 goals for France and 48 goals in 73 Champions League games. He is chasing Ronaldo's goalscoring record at international level (130) and in the Champions League (140) and is only likely to succeed if he displays the same undiminished passion and desire as the player he emulated as a boy.

As captains of their respective countries, they shake hands and hug before kick-off. They do the same after the game. For Mbappe, there will definitely be more European Cup participation in the future. For Ronaldo, this could be the end of his career.