"People forget that" - Cristiano Ronaldo claims Real Madrid are not using star player in his best position

Cristiano Ronaldo has weighed in on Kylian Mbappe playing as a centre-forward at Real Madrid. The Portuguese legend believes the Frenchman has struggled as a No. 9 because it's not the best position for him to play.

Mabbpe joined Los Blancos last summer on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The 26-year-old was forced to play as a centre-forward in Carlo Ancelotti's setup, with Vinicius Jr already dominating in his preferred left-wing position.

This switch in position saw Mbappe struggle to find the net regularly in his first few months at the club. However, the former PSG star seems to have fully settled into the position now, having scored nine times in his last 10 outings across competitions. Overall, he has registered 21 goals and three assists in 33 games for Madrid this season.

During a recent interview with Edu Aguirre of El Chiringuito, Ronaldo spoke about his own and Mbappe's initial struggles playing at No. 9. He said (via Bolavip):

"It’s difficult for him because he doesn’t know how to play as a striker. In my opinion, that’s not his position."

The Portuguese superstar also pointed out that he played as a winger during his time at Real Madrid, but fans tend to forget that because of the number of goals he scored.

"If I were at Real Madrid, I would have taught him how to play in this role. I wasn’t a striker either — I played on the wing. People forget that because I scored goals, but I was never a true No. 9," the Al-Nassr superstar added.

Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's record goalscorer. The 39-year-old recorded 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances for the Spanish giants.

When Kylian Mbappe spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo being his idol

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has repeatedly referred to Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol. Photos of the Frenchman's bedroom as a little boy decorated with the Portuguese icon's posters have surfaced online in the past.

Speaking to beIn Sports in 2010, Mabppe spoke about his admiration for Ronaldo, saying (via Bolavip):

"I had a lot of idols. There was Cristiano Ronaldo, who I loved a lot. And during this time, we had Ronaldo and Messi, and I had the chance to play with Neymar […] They are the players I admired a lot."

Just like his idol, Mbappe got the opportunity to wear the colors of Real Madrid when he joined the side as a free agent in the summer of 2024. He will look to emulate and probably surpass the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's achievements with Los Blancos.