Ronaldo: Let Mbappé Be

Cristiano Ronaldo has emphasized the importance of Real Madrid "taking care" of Kylian Mbappé and has advised the young forward to "stay true to himself" as he works towards becoming a legendary figure at the Bernabéu, much like Ronaldo himself.

Mbappé has had an impressive first season with Madrid, scoring 22 goals across all competitions. However, his early-season performances drew some criticism.

Ronaldo, who remains Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 451 goals, was Mbappé's idol growing up.

A famous photo of Ronaldo and a young Mbappé, taken during Mbappé’s trial at Madrid as a teenager, highlights their connection.

“Take care of the lad,” Ronaldo said during an excerpt from his interview on the Spanish TV show El Chiringuito, set to air fully on Monday. “The fans must support him. He’s an incredible talent.

The club has to protect him, and I’m certain he’ll bring a lot of happiness to Madrid fans.”

Ronaldo expressed his admiration for Mbappé, saying, “I love [Mbappé], not just because of his childhood story where he looked up to Cristiano—I was his idol—but because I think he’s an exceptional player.”

Ronaldo also shared that he now watches Real Madrid’s games regularly, as his son Mateo is a big fan of Mbappé.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner highlighted that Mbappé could still use some guidance to adapt fully to his role at Real Madrid.

“It’s tricky because, in my opinion, he doesn’t naturally play as a forward—or rather, it’s not his true position,” Ronaldo explained. “If I were at Madrid, I’d guide him on how to play as a number nine.

“I wasn’t a forward originally; I was a winger and had to adapt to play in that role. People tend to forget that. I wasn’t a typical forward. Similarly, I think [Mbappé] shouldn’t conform to being a traditional forward.

He should carve his own path.”

Mbappé has already secured two trophies with Real Madrid—the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup—and even scored in Madrid’s 5-2 loss to Barcelona during the Spanish Supercopa last month.

Looking ahead, Madrid faces several challenging fixtures.

They will play Leganés in a Copa del Rey quarterfinal, square off against Atlético Madrid in the Madrid Derby on Saturday, and then take on Manchester City in their Champions League knockout stage playoff.

Source: africa

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