Journalist reveals Kylian Mbappe's reaction behind the scenes after Lionel Messi won 8th Ballon d'Or
Kylian Mbappe watched as Lionel Messi picked up his eighth Ballon d'Or award during the award ceremony in Paris last week.
French journalist Benjamin Quarez has revealed how the Paris Saint-Germain forward reacted to seeing the Argentine maestro being named the best player in the world once again in 2023.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, alongside Manchester City striker Erling Haaland emerged as the top contenders for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award courtesy of their brilliant performances for club and country.
The Argentine led the pack after making history at the World Cup in Qatar last year where he bagged seven goals and three assists in seven games and helped his country clinch the prize. He also won the domestic double with PSG last term, contributing 21 goals and 20 assists across all fronts.
Kylian Mbappe, on the other hand, won every trophy Lionel Messi won apart from the World Cup. Regardless, he was a standout performer in the tournament with eight goals and two assists to his name. He also bagged 41 goals and 10 assists for PSG in 43 appearances last term.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland also made a strong case for the Ballon d'Or this year. The Norwegian was influential in Manchester City's historic treble-winning campaign last term, bagging 52 goals in 53 games. His country, however, didn't qualify for the World Cup.
In the end, Lionel Messi's World Cup success was too big to be thrown under the carpet. The Argentine was rightfully awarded his eighth Ballon d'Or award, with Haaland coming second and Kylian Mbappe coming third.
However, it appears the French attacker wasn't too pleased with that outcome. According to Le Parisien journalist Benjamin Quarez, Mbappe was left disappointed.
"He was disappointed,” Quarez said on Thursday’s L’Equipe du Soir (h/t Le10Sport). “He aimed to win the Ballon d’Or and finished third, while he scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final.”
Despite his said reaction, it is worth noting that the PSG forward has demonstrated the spirit of sportsmanship by congratulating his former teammate in an Instagram post.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
With both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo already in the twilight of their respective careers, the football world is primed to welcome another set of superstars to dominate the sport. As it stands, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are above the cut.
However, the duo are closely followed by other young talents that will definitely give them a run for their money. Among these players are Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Other names include Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala, Barcelona's Pedri and PSG's Ousmane Dembele among others.