Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Memorable Encounter Fuels Transfer Speculations. Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo shared a special moment during the UEFA Nations League fixture between France and Portugal. Despite being on opposite sides, the two superstars exchanged words and laughter as they faced off on the field.

While their meeting at the Stade de France was notable, it wasn’t their first encounter. Back in December 2012, when Mbappe was a young talent being courted by Real Madrid, he visited the club’s facilities at Valdebebas. There, he had the opportunity to meet his idols, including Cristiano Ronaldo, and even posed for a photo with the Portuguese forward.

After the match, Mbappe took to Twitter and shared two photos of his exchange with Ronaldo, captioning it with “Idol.” This expression of admiration from Mbappe towards Cristiano is not new or unfamiliar.

“He is a Real Madrid fan, and his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo,” Mbappe’s father revealed to France Football in 2016. “He used to spend hours watching videos of him on the internet.”

Mbappe himself has openly acknowledged Ronaldo’s influence on him. “My first idol was Zinedine Zidane,” Mbappe confessed in an interview with the Mirror, “for everything he achieved with the national team. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. He has won a lot and continues to be a winner even after so much success.”

Now, the possibility of Mbappe following in Ronaldo’s footsteps at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu has gained traction. Real Madrid has been pursuing Mbappe since his visit to Valdebebas in 2012, coming close to signing him before his move to Monaco and again when he joined Paris Saint-Germain. With Mbappe’s contract set to expire at Parc des Princes in 2022, a move to the Bernabeu seems increasingly likely for the young French phenom.