According to Mbappe’s former teammate, Lionel Messi deserves to win his eighth Ballon d’Or and is the greatest player in football history.
“I have no issues with the result of the 2023 Ballon d’Or,” Mbappe said on November 17. “Messi deserves the title. When Messi wins the World Cup, he should get the Ballon d’Or. He is one of the best players in history, if not the best.”
Mbappe also emphasized that both he and Erling Haaland had a fantastic season. However, that achievement doesn’t carry as much weight compared to winning the World Cup. Since losing the World Cup final on December 18 last year, Mbappe knew he would trail Messi in the Ballon d’Or race.
On October 30, Messi won the Ballon d’Or with 462 points. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland, who secured a treble with Man City in the 2022-2023 season, came in second with 357 points. Mbappe ranked third with 270 points.
On December 18, 2022, in the World Cup final, Messi’s Argentina defeated Mbappe’s France 4-2 in a penalty shootout. The 24-year-old French forward scored a hat-trick but couldn’t prevent his PSG teammate Messi from winning. Messi finished the tournament with his second World Cup Golden Ball. Meanwhile, Mbappe claimed the Golden Boot with eight goals, one more than Messi.
Mbappe’s contract with PSG is set to expire in June 2024. The lack of an extension could lead to PSG losing him for free in over half a year. When asked about this, Mbappe responded, “This is not news related to the French national team. If you ask this question, you must go to PSG’s facilities, and I will answer. The country comes first. When serving the country, I don’t care about that.”
On November 18, Mbappe will face Gibraltar with France. Three days later, they will play as guests against Greece. As France has already qualified for Euro 2024, these two matches are procedural.
Euro 2024 will be the fifth major tournament for coach Didier Deschamps with France, following Euro 2016, World Cup 2018, Euro 2021, and World Cup 2022. Under Deschamps’ guidance, Mbappe won the World Cup in 2018, reached the Euro 2021 round of 16, and the World Cup 2022 final.
At PSG, Mbappe is collaborating with coach Luis Enrique, who won the treble in 2014-2015 with Barcelona. After the early stages of the 2023-2024 season, PSG is leading Ligue 1 and is second in the Champions League “Group of Death.”
When asked to compare Deschamps and Enrique, Mbappe replied, “In the national team, the coach adapts to each opponent and gives me complete freedom on the left wing. That means I am a completely different player, allowing me to expand my range of activities. I can still improve. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique involves me in more tactical structures. I adapt to both great coaches, and I am eager to listen to them.”
