Kylian Mbappe believes he would be a worthy recipient of the Ballon d’Or in 2023 after enjoying another memorable year for club and country.
The Paris Saint-Germain and France forward is not expected to enter the race for the most prestigious individual awards, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland leading that race after winning the World Cup with Argentina and a treble at Manchester City respectively in 2022-23 .
Mbappe, however, scored a hat-trick in France’s final defeat at Qatar 2022, while he also claimed another Ligue 1 title and has scored 54 goals during his spell at PSG and Les Bleus.
Asked by TF1 if he should be in contention to be named the best player on the planet, Mbappe said:
“Golden Ball? It’s always difficult to talk about an individual trophy because you have to put yourself first. It’s something that doesn’t necessarily sit well with the general public. Do I deserve the Ballon d’Or? With the new criteria, what does it matter? Stand out, score goals and make an impact? I think I meet these criteria. I would say yes, but it is the people who vote and I am always optimistic”, said the Frenchman.
