Luis Figo, the former Portugal winger, is one of the few footballers in the world who had the opportunity to play with both the Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo and Selecao legend Ronaldo Nazario.
Figo believes France’s World Cup hero and Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is as good as teenage Cristiano Ronaldo and the Brazilian Ronaldo.
CR7 joined Premier League giants Manchester United in 2003 when he was 18 years old and soon became a crowd favourite at Old Trafford. Ronaldo, on the other hand, was a World Cup winner by the age of 17 having been a member of Brazil’s squad for FIFA World Cup 1994.
Ronaldo Nazario became the most expensive player in the world when he was just 19 years old after joining La Liga giants Barcelona from PSV for £19.5 million ($25.5m) in 1996.
Teenage prodigy Mbappe made his professional debut in 2015 at the age of 16 and was a Ligue 1 winner inside two years. Mbappe has also won FIFA World Cup with France at the age of 19.
Speaking to Goal.com, Luis Figo said, “Cristiano and Ronaldo were more or less as decisive as Mbappe [at the same age].”
“But then they managed to have a very high performance level throughout their careers, over a long period, not just for a season,” Figo further explained and then said, “I think [Mbappe can do the same] but it always depends on professionalism, possible injuries, many factors.”
“But with the quality he has shown, he has everything to be able to enjoy a great career for 15-20 years,” Figo concluded.