Kylian Mbappe has praised Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as he prepares for a crucial Euro 2024 match, according to Manchester Evening News.
On Friday, France will face Portugal in the quarter-finals of the European Championships, with the winner advancing to a semi-final clash against either Spain or Germany.
Fernandes has been a key player for Portugal, featuring in three matches and scoring once on their journey to the quarter-finals.
The United captain was instrumental in Portugal's last-16 win over Slovenia, playing the full 90 minutes plus extra time and converting one of the decisive penalties in the shootout.
As the anticipation builds for the upcoming clash, Mbappe, who recently joined Real Madrid, expressed his respect for Fernandes. He described him as one of Portugal's "dangerous" players.
"When you play against a team like Portugal, it’s dangerous to focus on one player, because they are good in every position. We usually talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is far from alone," Mbappe said in a press conference.
"Rafael Leao is a danger, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, my former teammates at PSG [Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha, Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes] … they are all dangerous. We shouldn’t focus on one player. When you ignore great players, you usually pay dearly."
The Portugal vs France match is one of four quarter-final fixtures at Euro 2024.
Friday will also feature a showdown between Spain and Germany. On Saturday, England will compete against Switzerland, followed by the Netherlands facing Turkey.