'It's going to be very difficult now' - Kylian Mbappe reveals regret at not being able to play with Cristiano Ronaldo following Lionel Messi experience

Mbappe's admiration for Ronaldo is well-documented. Growing up, he idolised the Portuguese icon and closely followed his legendary tenure at Real Madrid, where Ronaldo shattered records and achieved numerous milestones. This admiration extended to Mbappe recreating the famous "Uno, dos, tres, Hala Madrid!" chant from Ronaldo’s 2009 presentation during his own unveiling last summer.

Following his memorable experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe admitted that partnering with Ronaldo would have been an exciting chapter in his career.

Speaking to BeIN Sports, Mbappe said, "I’ve played with great players: Lionel Messi, Neymar, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Paul] Pogba, [Karim] Benzema... It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s going to be very difficult now, but I was lucky enough to play against him, a legend of the sport."

Since joining Madrid in the summer after leaving PSG, Mbappe has already made his mark, helping the club secure the Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday. This victory marked his second major trophy with the Spanish giants after the UEFA Super Cup in August, further cementing his place among the club’s elite.

However, Mbappe knows he has a long way to go to match Ronaldo’s unprecedented achievements at the Santiago Bernabeu. Ronaldo, who scored an astonishing 450 goals in 438 appearances for Madrid, remains the club’s all-time top scorer. Mbappe, with 13 goals in 23 matches so far, is aware of the daunting task of replicating such a legacy.

Mbappe is set to return to the pitch on Sunday when Real Madrid host Sevilla in a crucial La Liga encounter. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is enjoying a well-earned winter break in Riyadh and will be back in action with Al-Nassr on January 9 against Al-Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League.