Kylian Mbappe believes he has done enough to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, even though he did not win a trophy with Real Madrid and France were knocked out by Spain in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.In an interview with France Football, the 27-year-old said the Ballon d’Or is an individual award and that his performances over the season deserve recognition. He also praised new France head coach Zinedine Zidane.“I believe I can win it this year. It’s one of my goals,” Mbappe said, as quoted by news agency Reuters. “People say I didn’t win a trophy (for club or country), but it’s an individual award. I’ve never seen a Ballon d’Or winner elected 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 took his World Cup tally to 22 goals, becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, before France lost 2-0 to Spain in the semi-finals.He said his performances were different from the rest and that was why he believed he deserved the award.“My idea of the Ballon d’Or comes from the Messi and Ronaldo era – you don’t give it to ordinary players, you give it to players who are different. I think I did things that were different this year, so I believe I can win it.”When asked if he believed he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, Mbappe gave a direct answer.“There was no player better than me. We were talking about achievements. To score that many goals in the major competitions, where all the great players are, and of course at the World Cup, the biggest event, to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer – throughout my holidays, that was all people talked to me about,” he said.“It’s difficult to fully grasp what the World Cup means. It’s the competition of the great players, the stars, the greatest players in the history of the game. And to tell yourself that, at 27, I’m already the one who has scored the most goals…“And it’s even more special because you take the record from Leo Messi, who for many people is the greatest player in history alongside Cristiano (Ronaldo). It’s fantastic. That kind of achievement is different.”Mbappe also welcomed Zidane’s appointment as France coach after he replaced Didier Deschamps.“For French people, he means a great deal – he’s a legend, he’s the nation’s ‘Zizou’, he represents elegance, greatness. He made his mark on the history of the national team as a player and he had some truly iconic moments,” Mbappe enthused.“He’s perhaps the player who most embodies the France team. He’s one of those players who transcended generations. He left an indelible mark on the history of French football.”
