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'Extraordinary' Kylian Mbappe 'Did Everything' to Win Ballon d'Or
November 9, 2018
Kylian Mbappe has revealed his desire to win this year's Ballon d'Or, and France manager Didier Deschamps believes the forward can achieve his goals thanks to his ability to do "extraordinary things" on a football pitch.
Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe played a key role in France's 2018 FIFA World Cup triumph, and he believes he has done enough to throw his hat into the ring.
He told AFP (h/t Goal's Nick Howson): "If I'm going to win it, I do not know, at least I put all the ingredients on my side to win it. I did everything I could until the last day of the vote. I will have no regrets, all that will happen is a bonus, and then I can not vote instead of people!"
Mbappe is one of seven France players to lift the World Cup who have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or shortlist, and Deschamps recently discussed the 19-year-old star.
Per Goal's Dejan Kalinic, he said:
"Kylian is able to do extraordinary things. Look at his stats. He is efficient. Look at the goals he scored with his club and with us. He also made assists.
"He is a young player who is doing very well at the moment. And he doesn't ask anything. He is an offensive leader for PSG. For us as well.
"But he doesn't try to take more space than he does now. He does already, and it is natural. Obviously, he can still improve and that is wonderful. But he is already very effective."
Mbappe believes the World Cup will have an impact on the voting this year, and he had a superb tournament in Russia:
He has been similarly excellent for PSG in 2018, particularly this season.
The forward demonstrated the kind of electric performance he's capable of in his first match of the campaign for the Parisians:
Overall, he has racked up 31 goals and 14 assists for club and country in 2018, and with such impressive tallies, he's deservedly in the frame to win the Ballon d'Or.
There are other candidates who could rival him for football's most prestigious individual award, though.
France team-mate Antoine Griezmann also scored four times in Russia and helped Atletico Madrid win the UEFA Europa League.
Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive time in May, and the former was named The Best FIFA Men's Player after also helping Croatia reach the World Cup final.
Lionel Messi won La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona, and he has produced a consistently high level of play that arguably no one has matched this year.
In recent years, the Ballon d'Or has become somewhat less about who is necessarily the best player and more about the trophies won, with the Champions League taking precedence.
Messi and Ronaldo have shared the award for the past decade, but since 2014, it has gone to the one whose team were crowned European champions that year.
That gives Ronaldo or Modric a healthy boost in this year's race, but the World Cup will likely hold similar sway. Mbappe's youth perhaps gives him a slight edge over Griezmann, but it's set to be a close-run contest.