Kylian Mbappe has once again put Zinedine Zidane at the center of his personal football story. The Real Madrid striker says that as a child he looked up to Zizou as his idol and even wanted to wear a hairstyle like his, France Football reported.
“Zidane, this is the legend, this is Zizou national“, says Mbappe in the interview. For the Frenchman, the relationship with Zidane is not just an image from television, but part of his own growth in football. The two have known each other for a long time, since the period when Mbappe was 13 or 14 years old and was invited to trials at Real Madrid.
The first meeting with Real Madrid
According to Mbappe, it was Zidane who first picked him up and took him to the club's training complex. In his memories, this is a moment that today sounds almost symbolic, because years later he is already a Real Madrid player and Zidane is at the head of the French national team.
On September 21, 2026, AFP reported that Mbappe described his current relationship with the new France coach as “It's like a movie, but it's incredible. It's real.“ He added that the start of a new cycle at the “Roosters“ is something different, because after Didier Deschamps, the French team is entering a new era.
According to AFP, Zidane is set to make his debut as France coach in the Nations League match against Turkey in Izmit. This puts Mbappe and his idol in a common national project at a time when the French team is looking for a new direction after Deschamps' long tenure.
Strong start at Real and ambition for trophies
The topic of Zidane comes against the backdrop of a strong start to the season for Mbappe at Real Madrid. AFP points out that the striker has eight goals in eight games in all competitions, although he did not score in the 1-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the city derby.
In the interview, Mbappe also sent a clear signal about his ambitions at the club. "Others can talk, but we have to do more and work to bring the excitement back to Real Madrid and bring back the trophies," he says. The statement comes at a time when Real are trying to restore stability and stay in the fight for the top spot in Spain.
The statement about Zidane and his hairstyle adds a more personal layer to Mbappe's image. For him, Zidane is both a childhood dream, a symbol of French football and a figure he meets today in a new role - no longer as an unknown boy on trial, but as one of the biggest stars of the modern game.
And that's exactly why his confession sounds more like a return to the beginning than a simple memory. Between the boy who wants a haircut like Zidane's and the France captain who talks about a “new era“, there is an entire football career.
Sources: France Football, AFP