Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has compared France captain Kylian Mbappé to Brazil great Ronaldo Nazário, saying Mbappé is the closest modern player to the two-time World Cup winner known as "R9".
Speaking as a pundit during coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Rooney said Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the best players in history, but Mbappé is as close to R9 as you will see in the modern game.
The comments were shared by journalist Fabrizio Romano. Rooney added that Mbappé is skilful, drives at defenders, runs in behind, scores goals, and that fans are at risk of not appreciating his level.
Rooney, 40, played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and faced Lionel Messi in two Champions League finals. Mbappé, 27, is leading France at the World Cup in North America, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The Real Madrid forward won the World Cup with France in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina.