Everyone knows that Cristiano Ronaldo was an "icon" and an idol for French star Kylian Mbappe throughout his life, but it seems that the presence of Leo Messi with him in the Paris Saint-Germain team prompted him to change his mind.
When the Argentine arrived for the first time from Barcelona to play for the Parisian team, Mbappe seemed more serious than usual.
It is true that this has a lot to do with the France international's desire to play for Real Madrid last summer, but he has also remained a loyal fan of Ronaldo.
The board of directors of the French capital team had hoped that Mbappe would convince a few months with Messi to stay with the team and sign a new contract and not to leave for the Spanish capital.
🎙️ La valoración de @KMbappe tras la victoria del @PSG_espanol ante el Brujas 🔴🔵
🗣️"Messi es el mejor jugador del mundo"#UCL pic.twitter.com/DIrNv2TTva
— Liga de Campeones (@LigadeCampeones) December 7, 2021
However, Mbappe saw firsthand some of Messi's magic on the pitch in yesterday's match against Club Brugge.
After the match - in which Mbappe scored two goals and Messi two more - Mbappe spoke to the press after the match to congratulate Leo on his achievements.
But he also said a phrase that might prove that he thinks Leo is better than Ronaldo.
He said, "It is easy to play with Messi, he is the best player in the world, he won the Ballon d'Or a few days ago and scored two goals today. He is happy, and I hope he helps us in the future."
Has Mbappe's "loyalty" changed?
It's unlikely that Mbappe is no longer a fan of Ronaldo, and he may still think the Manchester United star is his favourite, but Messi has managed to carve out a place for himself inside Mbappe's heart.
And the cold relationship between the two stars at first, it seems, turned into admiration and love from the French young man to the Argentine veteran.
And this view may change completely, even if Messi managed - somehow - to win the Champions League with Saint-Germain this season, and lift the title with Mbappe at his side. If this happens, everything is possible with regard to Mbappe's future at the French club.