Ronaldo says Mbappé 'reminds me of myself at my peak' after World Cup start

Kylian Mbappé has earned high praise from Brazilian legend Ronaldo after scoring four goals and providing two assists in his first three matches at the 2026 World Cup. Ronaldo said Mbappé's "playing style reminds me of myself at my peak" and called him a natural heir to the game's legends.

Mbappé opened his account with a brace against Senegal and scored twice again versus Iraq; he did not score against Norway but supplied two assists, remaining central to Didier Deschamps' attack. Ronaldo added that both Mbappé and Lionel Messi "transcend statistics" and deserve recognition as the competition's all-time top scorers, calling Messi "one of the greatest" and praising Mbappé's impact.

Real Madrid players lead all clubs at the tournament with 11 goals, driven largely by Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, who have four apiece. Jude Bellingham has two for England and Arda Güler has scored for Turkey, leaving Madrid close to the 12-goal mark set by their players at the 1998 World Cup.

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