“Mbappé reminds me of my peak” - Ronaldo

There were four World Cups in which Ronaldo represented Brazil, establishing himself as one of the tournament’s all-time leading scorers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest No. 9s the South American nation has ever produced, or perhaps the greatest, O Fenômeno spoke to the French outlet L’Équipe during the World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Brazilian, who has already been spotted attending matches to support the Canarinha, is experiencing this World Cup from a very different perspective than he did as a player. Even so, he believes his national team is capable of winning a sixth world title. “I have tremendous confidence in Ancelotti’s work and his ability to calm the atmosphere and get the best out of his players. He understands football like few others and knows how to handle pressure. I wouldn’t choose any other coach for the Seleção right now,” he said.

One of Brazil’s all-time leading scorers also revealed that he was “in favour” of calling up Neymar for the World Cup. “I supported the call for a good reason: Neymar is decisive. I don’t see another player in the current squad with his ability to win a match. So if we can have him, we shouldn’t pass up the opportunity. He was cleared by the doctors, he’s in good physical condition, and now he has the chance to silence everyone who doubted him.” The former striker even compared the situation to his own return in 2002, when Brazil won its most recent World Cup.

With Messi and Mbappé having overtaken him on the World Cup scoring charts, Ronaldo said that “all records are meant to be broken”, but stressed that doing so does not diminish a player’s legacy. “Messi is one of the greatest players in football history and remains influential and decisive today. As for Mbappé, his style of play reminds me of my peak. He is one of the greatest players in today’s game and a natural heir to the sport’s legends,” he said.

Ronaldo named France, Spain and Argentina as his favourites to win the World Cup, while also highlighting the “danger posed by Germany”. Nevertheless, he believes those nations are Brazil’s biggest rivals in the race for the title.

Discussing France’s future, L’Équipe raised the possibility of Zinedine Zidane becoming the next coach of Les Bleus, a move that has long been the subject of speculation. “I’ve always said he has the perfect profile for this position. He has the talent, experience, tactical intelligence and the right character. And this isn’t just a hunch; he has already demonstrated it through his brilliant work at Real Madrid,” Ronaldo explained.

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