Kylian Mbappe went trophyless in his first two Real Madrid seasons, but hopes World Cup goals boost Ballon d’Or bid.
Kylian Mbappe
said he still believed he was worthy of the Ballon d’Or award despite failing
to win any silverware with Real Madrid during the season, while France’s World Cup campaign ended with a semifinal defeat by
Spain.
In an interview
with France Football, the 27-year-old hailed new France coach Zinedine Zidane
and said he believed his performances merited recognition as the world’s best player.
“I believe I can
win it this year. It’s one of my goals, and a short-term one at that,” Mbappe
said. “People say I didn’t win a trophy (for club or country), but it’s an
individual award. I’ve never seen a Ballon d’Or winner elected unanimously.
“Has anyone ever won with 100% of the vote? That
means there’s always someone who thought the winner didn’t deserve it.”
Mbappe scored 15
goals in the Champions League and 25 in La Liga before taking his World Cup
tally to 22, becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer, although
France’s campaign ended in a 2-0 semifinal defeat by Spain.
“My idea of the Ballon d’Or comes from the Messi
and Ronaldo era – you don’t give it to ordinary players, you give it to players
who are different. I think I did things that were different this year, so I
believe I can win it.”
Asked if he
thought he would be a deserving winner, Mbappe was adamant.
“There was no player better than me. We were talking about achievements. To score that
many goals in the major competitions,
where all the great players are, and of course at the World Cup, the biggest
event, to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer – throughout my
holidays, that was all people talked to me about,” he said.
“It’s difficult
to fully grasp what the World Cup means. It’s the competition of the great
players, the stars, the greatest players in the history of the game. And to tell yourself that, at 27, I’m already
the one who has scored the most goals…
“And it’s even more special because you take the
record from Leo Messi, who for many people is the greatest player in history
alongside Cristiano (Ronaldo). It’s fantastic. That kind of achievement is
different.”
The forward
praised the appointment of 1998 World Cup winner Zidane, who succeeded Didier
Deschamps as France’s head coach.
“For French people, he means a great deal – he’s a
legend, he’s the nation’s ‘Zizou’, he represents elegance, greatness. He made
his mark on the history of the national team as a player and he had some
truly iconic moments,” Mbappe enthused.
“He’s perhaps the player who most embodies the
France team. He’s one of those players who transcended generations. He left an
indelible mark on the history of French football.”