- Mbappé arrived at the Bernabéu from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer
- The Frenchman does not quite fit in with Vinicius Jr in a mixed season at Real
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Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé have said some kind words to each other amid speculation about an ongoing feud between the superstars.
Los Blancos have had a mixed season, recovering from a horrendous run of form, in which they lost 4-0 at home to Barcelona and 3-1 to AC Milan, to go five unbeaten in December and consolidate second place in LaLiga .
Their Champions League campaign has been particularly eventful as the 15-time winners find themselves in 20th place and facing the possibility of a play-off match to advance to the next round.
It's not what the Bernabeu faithful expected after lifting both trophies last season and adding Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappé to their already considerable arsenal in the summer.
But the Frenchman hasn't quite fit in this season, often seen stepping on Vinicius' feet and struggling to find his place in Carlo Ancelotti's system.
Amid rumors of a fight between Mbappe and his teammate, the pair showed their respect for each other in an impromptu New Year's Eve interview ahead of Friday's clash against Valencia. Brand information.
Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé exchanged nice words in an open training session
The superstar couple has not always fit in at Real Madrid during a difficult season
Mbappé swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Real, but regularly looks uncomfortable
The former PSG striker said: 'What do I admire most about Vini? His humility, without a doubt. Everyone knows the player and every three days sees the quality he has.
'This year he has won many collective titles and individual awards, but I highlight his humility. He is always good with the people in the locker room and I really like that.
“We can score many more goals and we are going to do it.” I had to adapt to a new team and in the locker room they have helped me a lot. I thank you all.'
Vinicius continued the white romance with some kind comments about his new colleague.
“Kylian is a great person and player,” he said. 'It's very easy to play with him.
'He's going to score a lot of goals for all the fans. This has only just begun.'
Both stars featured in the FIFA Men's Team of the Year in December, with Vinicius receiving the Player of the Year award to make up for his controversial Ballon d'Or snub.
It emerged that he beat the October award winner, Manchester City's Rodri, by five points, having obtained 48 votes to Rodri's 43.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr named FIFA best player in December
The Brazilian lost the Ballon d'Or to Rodri in October, but this time he won
Vinicius' Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham was third with 37, while another Los Blancos player, Dani Carvajal, was fourth with 31.
This put him just ahead of Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal (30).
Lionel Messi (25), Toni Kroos and Erling Haaland (18 each), Mbappé (14) and Florian Wirtz (8) completed the top 10. Fede Valverde was the last player nominated and finished 11th with four points.
Upon collecting his award, a delighted Vinicius Jr said: 'It seemed impossible for me to get here to this stage… I came from a small place, close to poverty and crime. Now I'm here.'
It was a very different reaction to when Rodri won the Ballon d'Or just two months ago.
On that occasion, Vinicius Jr was joined by his Madrid teammates in snubbing the ceremony, considering that he deserved the individual award, despite the fact that Rodri obtained 1,170 voting points compared to Vinicius Jr.'s 1,129.
