Man City star Erling Haaland praises rival Kylian Mbappe

Manchester City star Erling Haaland was full of praise for rival Kylian Mbappe, describing the French striker as 'phenomenal'.

The two forwards have long been tipped to take the mantle from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as Ballon d'Or contenders for years to come, particularly after bursting onto the scene in the Champions League. Mbappe became the youngest player in the competition's history to score 35 goals in September, while Haaland holds the record for fewest games to reach 10, 15 and then 20 goals.

Mbappe sets himself apart on the international stage, having won the 2018 World Cup with France and made the final in Qatar last year, winning the Golden Boot with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final. Haaland, meanwhile, is yet to feature in the world's biggest tournament with Norway.

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“There are so many good players and Kylian is one of them," Haaland told RMC. "He is so strong. The French are so lucky that he plays for France. I would like him to play for Norway obviously, but it’s not the case. But yes, he’s an incredible player.

“He’s so fast, so strong and he’s been doing it for so many years. What is he? Two years older than me? It’s crazy! Sometimes you have to tell yourself that he still has ten years of playing at the top level. He is phenomenal.”

Mbappe's performance in the final in Qatar truly highlighted his quality, with the 24-year-old scoring a hat-trick against Argentina before also slotting home his spot-kick in the shootout. The Paris Saint-Germain forward became just the second player to net three times in a final and the first to lose.

Haaland looks set to break almost every record available