“We don’t realise it. It’s abnormal” - France World Cup winner finds similarity between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe

Legendary French left-back Bixente Lizarazu has drawn comparisons between compatriot Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It's no secret that Mbappe has admired Ronaldo over the years. With both players starting their careers on the left wing, many have previously likened the Frenchman's playing style to a younger Ronaldo. This has been further backed by Lizarazu but in terms of mentality and efficiency.

The 1998 World Cup winner with France recently heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe, telling Telefoot (via Goal):

“Everything he does is phenomenal. We don’t realise it. It’s abnormal. He has the magical power of changing the course of a match single-handedly, whenever he wants. He has done it many times; he scares defences and gives confidence to his partners.

"Afterwards, he has the efficiency and the mentality of a guy like Cristiano Ronaldo, wanting to do everything in terms of stats. And he does it. And then behind it were his personality, intelligence, precise communication, and role as captain.”

Kylian Mbappe is widely considered to be an ideal successor for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman has scored 26 goals and provided 118 assists in 341 games for Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco. He has also recorded 46 goals and 30 assists in 75 games for France, winning the 2018 World Cup.

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Kylian Mbappe on Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had one of the biggest rivalries over the years, which is still alive in some sense. The legendary duo dominated world football for around 15 years, breaking multiple records and winning almost every individual and team honor.

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have been touted by many to take over the mantle and create a new rivalry. However, when asked about the same in June earlier this year, the Frenchman played down such comparisons. He hailed Messi and Ronaldo, saying (via Goal):

“Things should be read differently. It happens perhaps every fifty years or more to have two players like Messi and Ronaldo at such levels for so long. We lived through an exceptional era and I hope the fans took advantage of it.

"I was lucky enough to play against Cristiano and then against and together with Leo: they are truly special. I learned a lot from them, especially with Messi in these two seasons. They wrote the history of football: they are eternal."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are now in the twilight of their careers and have both left European club football. Messi plies his trade for Inter Miami while Ronaldo is still breaking goalscoring records with Al-Nassr.