By Associated Press Reporter
Published: 23:54 BST, 2 April 2019 | Updated: 23:55 BST, 2 April 2019
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After exchanging praise for one another for months, football icon Pele and rising star Kylian Mbappe finally met on Tuesday at an event organized by a Swiss watchmaker in a lavish Parisian hotel.
When Kylian Mbappe netted France's final goal in a 4-2 win over Croatia last July, he became only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final - emulating Pele.
Their meeting had initially been planned for last November but was canceled because of the 78-year-old Pele's poor health at the time.
Pele (left) and Kylian Mbappe (right) met for the first time on Tuesday in Paris
Pele joked that the young Frenchman is trying to mimic him with his career
'I think he is envying me, that's why he is trying to emulate me,' a relaxed Pele joked after they were introduced on a small stage.
'His style, the way he is playing, is Latino. Even Brazilian I would say. It's a shame he did not play for Santos (Pele's former club). But it's not too late.'
Mbappe's rise to the top has been meteoric. After impressing with his former club Monaco, he received his first call-up with France in March 2017.
