Kylian Mbappe has privately expressed his belief that he should have won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, rather than his Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric, according to a report in L'Equipe. The French forward also feels that the 2023 award eluded him only because France lost the World Cup final to Argentina on penalties, despite his hat-trick in the match.
The report details Mbappe's ongoing pursuit of individual recognition, stating that he is confident he can achieve it while playing for Real Madrid. Although the club's management has publicly dismissed the Ballon d'Or after Vinicius Jr was overlooked in favour of Manchester City's Rodri, Mbappe believes he can revive its significance with his performances in the Spanish capital.
Mbappe has scored 14 goals in 25 appearances for Real since joining from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Meanwhile, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is currently the early favourite for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, and there have been suggestions that Real Madrid may boycott the ceremony due to their displeasure with Vinicius Jr's snub.
Real Madrid currently lead La Liga by two points at the halfway stage, but sit 20th in the Champions League, needing wins in their final two group matches to avoid the play-off round. The team recently secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory away to Valencia, with Luka Modric equalising before Jude Bellingham scored a stoppage-time winner.
