Cristiano Ronaldo, renowned Portuguese soccer icon and ex-Real Madrid star, has shared his views on comparing French striker Kylian Mbappe with Norwegian forward Erling Haaland. In a conversation on the ULTRAS YouTube channel, Ronaldo, who currently showcases his skills for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, praised Mbappe’s ability to craft opportunities on the field. He contrasted this with Haaland, who, in his opinion, heavily relies on the support from Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
Ronaldo expressed, “Haaland is quick and scores plenty, but uh when Kevin De Bruyne retires, Haaland’s goals will decrease,” emphasizing that despite Haaland’s remarkable goal-scoring talent and physical prowess, he lacks the self-sufficiency in creating scoring chances that Ronaldo claims to have had in his prime.
Highlighting the comparative advantages, Ronaldo stated, “Haaland needs a Creator like De Bruyne, if you compare him to me in my prime I could easily create something from nothing. That is the difference.”
Ronaldo gave Mbappe higher marks than Haaland, explaining, “Haaland is a striker, but Mbappe is more than just that with his space skill and dribblings. When Mbappe hits his prime in a couple of years no one will be able to stop him.”
Erling Haaland, aged 23, has achieved 22 goals in 28 appearances for Manchester City in the ongoing season and is the top scorer in the Premier League with 17 goals from 20 league matches.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Mbappe, who has been with Paris Saint-Germain for six years, has become the club’s highest scorer in all competitions, amassing 244 goals in 291 appearances. This season, he leads the French Ligue 1 scoring chart with 21 goals and four assists from 20 league matches, bringing his total to 32 goals in 31 appearances for PSG in the current campaign.