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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France superstar Kylian Mbappe believes he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Mbappe is expected to face competition from Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland for the prestigious individual award.
Mbappe had a successful season with PSG and France. He led the national side to the FIFA World Cup final, where he won the Golden Boot and scored a hat-trick in the decider, only to be pipped by Messi's Argentina.
The Frenchman also helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title, but couldn't take them to the elusive UEFA Champions League (UCL) title.
During a conversation with French television network TF1, Kylian Mbappe said on his Ballon d'Or chances (via GOAL):
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“The Ballon d'Or? It's always difficult to talk about an individual trophy, because you have to put yourself forward. It's something that doesn't necessarily go down well with the general public. Do I deserve the Ballon d'Or? With the new criteria, what counts? Catching the eye, scoring goals and making an impact? I think I fit those criteria. I'd say yes, but it's the people who vote and I'm always optimistic.”
“What can I take away from this season with the French national team? The World Cup, of course," he added. "It was special at that time of year. It was a defining moment for everyone. I would have swapped my three goals in the final for an own goal and a victory. We're competitors, history is for the people who tell it. We want to write it. It was difficult to go past the cup without lifting it.”
Mbappe scored 41 and assisted 10 goals in 40 appearances for PSG in the recently concluded 2022-23 season. He also scored eight goals for France in the Qatar World Cup, and six goals in 10 matches in other international matches during the season.
How Mbappe's Ballon d'Or rivals Messi and Haaland fared in the 2022/23 season
Both Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland had superb seasons in their own respect. They are expected to be the main contenders for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award along with Mbappe.
The former Barcelona star won the World Cup with Argentina, finishing the tournament with seven goals and the Golden Ball. He also had an upturn in his form for PSG, accumulating 21 goals and 20 assists for them across competitions.
Messi also scored 10 goals in six friendly matches for his national side during the course of the 2022-23 season.
Haaland, on the other hand, broke numerous goal-scoring records in England in just his first year in the Premier League. He finished as the league's top scorer by some distance, finishing with 36 goals and eight assists in 35 matches as City won their third consecutive title.
He also scored the most goals in the 202223 Champions League season with 12 strikes, helping City end their UCL drought. Overall, he scored 52 goals and provided nine assists in 53 appearances as the Cityzens completed the European treble.
