Ahead of the much-awaited encounter, the narrative mainly surrounds the battle between one of the biggest players in the game, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the only player who has shown the potential to reach the same heights as the former Kylian Mbappé.
Mbappé has reiterated time and time again the respect he has for his idol and continued to do so in the pre-match conference. "It is a real honor, everyone knows the respect I have for him. He is still a legend and we are in contact, but I hope that tomorrow we can win," Mbappé told reporters before the match.
Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in the Euros and an assist against Turkey in the group stage also made him the top scorer in the tournament's history, which was also his only goal contribution so far in the tournament. .
The round of 16 battle against Slovenia was an eye-opening experience for all fans around the world. Ronaldo missed a penalty in the first half of extra time and broke down in tears in an emotional moment.
Mbappé recently completed his move to Real Madrid following in the footsteps of his idol and spoke about the comparisons that are being made between the two.
"We have to value who he is and what he has done. He is a unique player. His resume speaks for itself. There is only one of him. I just want to follow my own path. I hope to write a great story in Madrid, but it will be different" , added the French captain.
France has yet to score its first goal from open play in the European Championship. So far, the team has scored three goals in the tournament, two of them own goals and one from a penalty in their last group stage match. Portugal, on the other hand, have also struggled and both teams will hope to regain their form in this match.
"There are people who may not be happy, but I have seen happy people. It is more exciting to win 5-4, that's for sure. Critics, you are there to do your job. They have always been part of my daily life. Today that is does not prevent me from living in peace," said coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappé has reiterated time and time again the respect he has for his idol and continued to do so in the pre-match conference. "It is a real honor, everyone knows the respect I have for him. He is still a legend and we are in contact, but I hope that tomorrow we can win," Mbappé told reporters before the match.
Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in the Euros and an assist against Turkey in the group stage also made him the top scorer in the tournament's history, which was also his only goal contribution so far in the tournament. .
The round of 16 battle against Slovenia was an eye-opening experience for all fans around the world. Ronaldo missed a penalty in the first half of extra time and broke down in tears in an emotional moment.
Mbappé recently completed his move to Real Madrid following in the footsteps of his idol and spoke about the comparisons that are being made between the two.
"We have to value who he is and what he has done. He is a unique player. His resume speaks for itself. There is only one of him. I just want to follow my own path. I hope to write a great story in Madrid, but it will be different" , added the French captain.
France has yet to score its first goal from open play in the European Championship. So far, the team has scored three goals in the tournament, two of them own goals and one from a penalty in their last group stage match. Portugal, on the other hand, have also struggled and both teams will hope to regain their form in this match.
"There are people who may not be happy, but I have seen happy people. It is more exciting to win 5-4, that's for sure. Critics, you are there to do your job. They have always been part of my daily life. Today that is does not prevent me from living in peace," said coach Didier Deschamps.
