Mbappe on Ballon d'Or: I Have Every Reason to Win, I Would Vote for Myself

On September 8 Beijing time, French media outlet L'Equipe interviewed Mbappe. When discussing the Ballon d'Or, Mbappe said that his performances put him in contention for the award.

When asked about his view of the Ballon d'Or, Mbappe admitted that he believes he has a chance to win the award this year. Mbappe said: "I think the Ballon d'Or is an individual award. So first, you have to look at what kind of performances a player has produced. Of course, some people will say that I did not win a title, but I have never seen a Ballon d'Or winner who received everyone's recognition and had no controversy in any aspect. I don't know whether anyone has ever received 100% of the votes for the Ballon d'Or before."

When L'Equipe told him that no one had ever received 100% of the votes, Mbappe said: "This shows that no matter who eventually wins, there will be people who think that person should not win the Ballon d'Or. So from this perspective, I am not saying that I would win the Ballon d'Or without any dispute, but I believe I have reasons to compete for it. Surpassing those legendary figures in the most important events in football and becoming the top scorer in World Cup history is a remarkable achievement. Likewise, becoming the top scorer in competitions featuring all the world's top players is also very important. I don't know whether anyone had done this before, but I believe that after delivering a history-making performance, one should be rewarded."

When asked who he would vote for if he could cast a ballot, Mbappe joked: "I would vote for myself. I would feel that if I won in the end, it would absolutely not be undeserved."

Last season, Real Madrid ended the campaign without winning any of the four major trophies. At this summer's World Cup, France finished fourth, while Mbappe won the Golden Boot and became the leading scorer in World Cup history.