‘No player is better than me’: Mbappe makes Ballon d’Or reference in ‘Messi and Ronaldo era’

Kylian Mbappe believes he has done enough for this year’s Ballon d’Or despite not winning the trophy with Real Madrid and France being knocked out by Spain in the World Cup semi-finals.Speaking to France Football, the 27-year-old said the Ballon d’Or is an individual award and his performances throughout the season deserve recognition. He also praised France’s new head coach Zinedine Zidane.“I believe I can win it this year. It’s one of my goals,” Mbappe said, according to Reuters. “People say I haven’t won a trophy (for club or country) but it’s an individual award. I’ve never seen a Ballon d’Or winner voted 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 LaLiga during the season. He also scored 22 goals in his World Cup and became the tournament’s all-time top scorer before France lost 2–0 to Spain in the semi-finals.He said that his performances were different from others and that is why he believed he deserved the award.“My idea of ​​the Ballon d’Or comes from the era of Messi and Ronaldo – you don’t give it to regular players, you give it to players who are different. I think I did things this year that were different, so I believe I can win it.”When asked if he thought he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, Mbappe was straightforward.“There was no player better than me. We talked about the achievements. To score so many goals in major competitions, where everyone is a great player, and of course in the World Cup, the biggest event, to become the top scorer in the competition – during my holidays that was the only thing people talked to me about,” he said.“It’s hard to fully understand what the World Cup means. It’s a competition of great players, stars, the best players in the history of the game. And to say that at 27 years old I’m already the one who scored the most goals…“And it’s even more special because you’re taking the record from Leo Messi, who for many people is, along with Cristiano (Ronaldo), the greatest player in history. It’s fantastic. This kind of achievement is different.”Mbappe also welcomed Zidane’s appointment as France coach after replacing Didier Deschamps.“He means a lot to the French – he is a legend, he is the ‘Zizou’ of the nation, he represents elegance, greatness. He went down in the history of the national team as a player and experienced truly iconic moments,” enthused Mbappe.“He is perhaps the player who most embodies the French team. He is one of those players who has transcended generations. He has left an indelible mark on the history of French football.”