‘More important’ – Kylian Mbappe is like Ronaldo and will become world’s best player as he makes Ballon d’Or claim

Kylian Mbappe will follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps and become the world’s best player.

That’s the view of former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, who is predicting Mbappe to get even better than he already is.

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And following his dazzling display against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night, it’s hard to disagree.

Mbappe scored a hat-trick as he brought up 500 career goal contributions in record time as he spearheaded Real to the last-16.

The 26-year-old has starred since linking up with Los Blancos last summer having joined on a free transfer by running his contract down at Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe is the club’s top scorer this campaign – chipping in with 27 goals in 37 matches in all competitions.

Incredibly, he’s just four strikes shy of equalling Brazilian legend Ronaldo’s best-ever goalscoring season [2003/04] at Real.

But despite Mbappe’s heroics so far in Spain, he had been subject to criticism from fans and pundits after failing to score in his opening three LaLiga matches.

But with 17 top-flight goals to his name so far, no one is now questioning the 2018 World Cup winner, who is just three strikes shy of the division’s leading scorer in Robert Lewandowski.

The French forward’s stunning form has led to comparisons with two-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.

Ronaldo spent five years at the Bernabeu from 2002-2007, where he banged in 104 goals in 177 games – winning the LaLiga title in his first season.

It is a feat Mbappe would love to replicate and his odds on winning the award in his maiden year in Spain have dropped. However, he claimed after his treble against City that ‘playing for Real Madrid is more important to me than winning the Ballon d’Or.’

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Calderon, who was Real’s president from 2006-2009, believes Mbappe will evolve into one of the game’s greatest ever players.

Speaking on the Hawksbee and Jacobs show, he said: “For me, he is one of the best players of the world.

“He has everything to be the best. He reminds me of Ronaldo Nazario, Brazilian.

“He’s fast, he’s strong, he can score from any angle of the field with the two legs.

“And now fans are really, really enjoying the way he’s playing – the way he was playing before with PSG.

“And for sure he is one of those that anyone would like to have on his side.”

At 26, Mbappe already boasts a stacked trophy cabinet which includes seven Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France’s, two Coupe de la Ligue’s, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA International Cup.

That’s in addition to scooping both the World Cup and UEFA Nations League with Les Blues, while it could include the Champions League this season.

Should he win Europe’s biggest club competition, he would do what Ronaldo failed to do throughout his career and win the coveted Champions League.

And he certainly had his shooting boots on in Real’s knockout play-off second leg against the Citizens by firing in his second treble in the club’s colours.

For teammate Jude Bellingham, his stunning performances no longer surprise him, such is the quality and consistency of the forward.

Speaking to TNT Sports after Real’s 6-3 aggregate victory, the England international said: “You go into games knowing he’s going to affect games if you give him the ball.

“I think our job behind [him] is to try and put the front three – and obviously myself getting in there – in the best positions possible.

“You know when Kylian gets the ball in areas that he likes to get the ball, he’s going to be dangerous.

“Right foot, left foot, you saw the different types of goals [against City].

“It’s incredible really what he’s done in his career, I know he had a slow start [at Real], he was getting used to life here, but now he’s just flying and it’s a pleasure to watch.”

Mbappe finished on the Ballon d’Or podium in 2023 behind Erling Haaland and winner Lionel Messi and, despite what Mbappe says, hw would not say no to being the ninth Real Madrid player to win the ultimate individual prize.