The Real Madrid forward claims in an interview that the Ballon d'Or is not an obsession, but that he would feel disappointed if he doesn't win it. The award will be presented on October 16.
Kylian Mbappé, forward for Real Madrid and the French national team, has stated that the Ballon d'Or is not an obsession, but he approaches the race for the award with the conviction that this could be his season. He expressed this in an interview published this Tuesday by RFI, as reported by de10.com.mx.
The award for the best player of the season will be presented on October 16. Mbappé aims to win it for the first time and believes that his individual performance allows him to think about victory.
It's not an obsession. I think it's a goal for any player, for any competitor
The Frenchman has also defended the challenging tone he has used in recent months when discussing his chances, following statements like "I've always been the chosen one" or "no one was better than me last season".
In France, there are many things that clash and I have no problem with that. I've never wanted to please everyone, because that's not possible. I don't know how to be someone else. I try to be myself, with my qualities and my flaws, with my achievements and my failures
One of the central arguments for his candidacy is his performance in the World Cup, where he finished as the tournament's all-time top scorer, ahead of Lionel Messi. France lost the final, and Mbappé believes that the collective result should not overshadow his individual performance.
I wouldn't say it was disappointing. When you don't win, you're always disappointed
Regarding his scoring record in the World Cups, Mbappé acknowledged that it took him time to understand its significance.
When you're in the competition, you want to move on to the next goal, the next match, score the next goal. But when I was on holiday, everyone talked to me about it, about being the top scorer in World Cup history. You realise how important the World Cup is
For the forward, this record carries specific weight in the race for the Ballon d'Or precisely because it is an individual award.
In the Ballon d'Or, they are not going to announce a team in the envelope, but a player. It's an individual trophy and I believe that should take precedence over everything else
Mbappé has also acknowledged that the competition for the award seems more open than in previous editions: "It's nice to see, nice to participate, and I think it also entertains people".
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for October 16, when it will be revealed whether the Real Madrid player wins the trophy for the first time.
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