The question that was always posed has again came to the Bernabeu, can Kylian Mbappe really come out of the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo? The French superstar quickly dismissed expectations after accepting his first Golden Boot as the Europe top scorer. He confessed that he is already an honor being named next to Cristiano, and that he wants to take his own way.
Any footballer today is hardly compared to the greatest icon in the club before he is even twenty years old. However, it cannot be avoided with the debut season of Mbappe. He has already paved the way to a potential new dynasty with a glittering goal score, match-winning performances and an immediate bond with the Madridistas.
However, it is not only about goals to be better than Ronaldo but also about the legacy. The nine years spent by Ronaldo in Madrid have characterised a generation, successful in the Champions League, and marked by personal brilliance. In the case of Mbappe, the question is consistency and leadership during rebuilding processes of the club, which is inevitable.
Mbappe joined Madrid 15 years after Ronaldo, bringing about a sense of poetical succession. However, creation, as he himself made it out, may not be the object of comparison. Mbappe might positively influence the post-Ronaldo Madrid by remaining a blend of flash and discipline, a player who might create a new club identity, namely the youth, humility and unstopping ambition.
