Mbappe shows his respect for Messi

Kylian Mbappe may have come away as the victor in the battle between himself and Leo Messi in the Champions League round of 16 but the young Frenchman was quick to show his respect for the Argentine legend after the second leg.

Shortly after the tie had ended 5-2 in PSG's favour, Mbappe took to social media to upload an image of himself alongside Messi on the pitch.

Mbappe added two emojis which seem to indicate praise and respect for Messi.

Certain cynics believe that, in the ongoing dispute over Messi's future, Mbappe was making a gesture to suggest that he'd be keen to play on the same team as the Argentine.

However, it is not new for Mbappe to publicly voice his respect to the legends of the game.

After France faced Portugal, Mbappe again made a post on social media, this time with photos next to Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Idol," Mbappe wrote back then, with an emoji of a goat and a king's crown.

After the game against Barcelona in Paris, Mbappe swapped shirts with teenage star Pedri.