Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has described French forward Kylian Mbappe as the modern-day Ronaldo Nazario. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
Tipping the Real Madrid star to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Makalele stated that Mbappe‘s impact on the world stage puts him in a category of his own among his peers.
He added that despite Kylian’s relatively modest trophy haul at club level last season, he still deserves football’s most prestigious individual prize.
His words, “I’d love for Mbappé to win it. He hasn’t picked up many trophies with Real Madrid this season, but what he’s producing at this World Cup is exceptional.
Kylian Mbappe’s relentless consistency season after season is drawing him closer and closer to Ronaldo Nazario. We didn’t call the Brazilian ‘O Fenomeno’ for nothing, and Mbappe is undoubtedly the phenomenon of his own generation. The frightening part is that he still has levels to reach.
I am absolutely convinced: he is the closest thing we have seen to a modern-day R9.”
Kylian Mbappe Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the France national team. Regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribbling abilities, exceptional speed, and finishing.
Kylian Mbappé Lottin was born on 20 December 1998 in the 19th arrondissement of Paris and was raised in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. His father, Wilfrid , is originally from Cameroon, and, as well as being his agent, is a football coach. His mother, Fayza Lamari, is of Algerian Kabyle origin and is a former handball player.
He has a younger brother, Ethan, who plays in the Paris Saint-Germain Academy. Their older adoptive brother, Jirès Kembo Ekoko, is a former professional footballer.
On 22 February 2018, Mbappé was joined by former African strikers George Weah and Didier Drogba in a meeting with French President, Emmanuel Macron and FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the Élysée Palace in Paris, which focused on a sports development project in Africa. Mbappé stated that the development of African sport is important to him due to his parents’ African origins.
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