“He deserves to win it” – France coach Didier Deschamps snubs Kylian Mbappe as he chooses 2023 Ballon d'Or winner
France boss Didier Deschamps has admitted Argentina's World Cup hero Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe.
Deschamps was asked who should win the France Football award tonight (October 30) at the awards ceremony in Paris. Les Bleus' coach humbly insisted Messi should win the award for the eighth time (via Albiceleste Talk):
"Messi has eight Ballon d’Or, yes? oh no.. seven? It’s too few, eh? The World Cup he had with Argentina was amazing and with that, he deserves to win it and It’s possible that he wins it, because of World Cup he won, unfortunately for France."
Messi was a thorn in France's side during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He captained La Abiceleste to glory, beating Deschamps' men 4-2 on penalties in the final after an enthralling 3-3 draw after extra-time.
The 36-year-old netted in the final but so too did Kylian Mbappe, with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar hitting a hat-trick. He became the first player since England legend Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Kylian Mbappe was in scintillating form for both PSG and France over the past year. He finished with the World Cup Golden Boot as he netted eight goals in seven games.
The 24-year-old also helped the Parisians continue their stranglehold of the Ligue 1 title. He carved up 41 goals and 10 assists in 43 games across competitions for PSG. However, Deschamps is backing Messi to win the Ballon d'Or despite France's captain being nominated.
Kylian Mbappe insisted he deserved to win the Ballon d'Or
Kylian Mbappe stated his case for why deserved to win the award for the first time in his career. He said earlier this year that it was difficult to put your name forward due to the publicity of the award (via GOAL):
"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."
However, Mbappe argued that he fit the criteria required to become a Ballon d'Or winner:
"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.”
The PSG superstar finished sixth in last year's rankings but is expected to earn a higher placing this time around. His highest placing came in 2018 when he finished fourth after winning the World Cup with France.