Rooney snubs Messi and Ronaldo, names player Mbappe is most similar to

Former England captain Wayne Rooney urged football fans to properly appreciate Kylian Mbappé, stating that the 27-year-old French superstar is the closest player in profile to the legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário (R9). 

Reacting to the recent wave of scrutiny directed at the forward, Rooney argued that modern football fans overly fixate on minor flaws rather than simply enjoying the peak of the most dominant World Cup footballer of this generation.

"Kylian Mbappé is the closest to R9 I have ever seen," Rooney stated. "I think we’re at danger of not appreciating him now and then we’re gonna look back and say ‘I grew up in that generation, why didn’t I appreciate it a bit more?' 

“In our society, instead of appreciating what’s in front of them, we’re trying to look at the negatives... instead of saying, 'Let's just enjoy this generational talent who we’re possibly never gonna see anything like him again.'"

The comparison between Mbappe and Ronaldo makes sense. Both forwards share a terrifying, unparalleled blend of explosive straight-line pace, direct power, and clinical finishing that makes them virtually unplayable in transition. 

More importantly, both superstars are intrinsically associated with defining, wildly dominant World Cup campaigns. Ronaldo captured the 1994 and 2002 FIFA World Cup titles while netting an incredible 15 World Cup goals across his career, while Mbappé, who already guided France to glory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, is on a similar path. 

Currently sitting on 15 World Cup goals following his goal against Iraq, the French captain has now officially matched R9’s World Cup tournament scoring record.