Mbappé steps up Ballon d'Or campaign: "Nobody had a better season than me last year"

Kylian Mbappé is not satisfied with fighting only for collective trophies at Real Madrid. The French forward remains focused on a personal goal that has eluded him for years: winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time. In an interview with L'Equipe published in full on Friday, the Madrid attacker made it clear that he believes his season puts him ahead of every other candidate for the award.

The Ballon d'Or, an obsession for Mbappé

The Madrid star does not hide his ambitions. He believes the most prestigious individual prize in football is within reach at the next edition and that his performances over the campaign make him the leading candidate. In his view, no footballer has put together a season as complete as his.

Nobody had a better season than me last year

Mbappé understands that voters may have different opinions and that views on who deserves the trophy are not unanimous. Even so, he maintains that when the footballing arguments and the competition are examined closely, his candidacy is strong and it would not be unfair for him to lift the award.

Mbappé's idea of what kind of player should win the Ballon d'Or

The France international has a very clear idea of what the award should represent. He believes the Ballon d'Or should go to different players, those capable of defining an era, rather than conventional profiles. He acknowledges the importance of collective performance, but points out that it is an individual prize where uniqueness should carry real weight.

In his opinion, the Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era represents the model to follow: two players who did not simply stand out but redefined the sport. Mbappé feels that this year he has produced performances and numbers that fit into that category of the extraordinary, which is why he sees himself as having a genuine chance of following the great names who have dominated the honour over the past decade and a half.

Lamine Yamal, the young talent who excites Mbappé most

Beyond discussing his own candidacy, the Real Madrid forward has also reviewed the present and future of several emerging talents in European and South American football. Among them all, Lamine Yamal holds a special place on his list of players to follow.

Among the young players, I like Lamine Yamal. He has everything

Mbappé also highlighted the creativity of Estevão, the goalscoring potential of Endrick and the promise of Arda Güler, his teammate in the Madrid dressing room. From French football, he singled out Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué as two players with a great career ahead of them. The French attacker does not hold back when praising a generation that, in his view, is set to dominate football over the coming years.

The Bernabéu whistles do not affect him

The demands of the Santiago Bernabéu are immense and Mbappé has known that since day one. The forward has experienced moments of fan discontent during certain stretches of the season, a situation that neither surprises nor unsettles him. He accepts that whistles are part of the picture when you wear the white shirt.

The Frenchman recalls that many club legends have been through similar situations and that the pressure from Madrid fans is not something that catches him off guard. He understands that the crowd expresses its displeasure when things do not go as expected and prefers to keep working to restore the confidence of the stands.

Mourinho, PSG and the new European hierarchy

The interview also gave Mbappé the chance to analyse the current landscape of European football. On José Mourinho, whom he knows well from the Portuguese coach's time at Real Madrid, the striker highlighted his intelligence and his ability to map out a clear path to success. He is impressed by the clarity with which Mourinho knows what he is doing and where he wants to go, a quality he considers essential for any footballer.

As for the Champions League, Mbappé identifies Paris Saint-Germain as the team to beat. After their two recent titles, the Parisian club is the benchmark for Real Madrid and the rest of the contenders, all of whom are looking to dethrone the reigning champions. The Frenchman, who reached the semi-finals with PSG in his final year under Luis Enrique, sees a new cycle at the Parisian club and acknowledges that their project has changed.

Frequently asked questions about Mbappé and the Ballon d'Or