Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were teammates last season, with Argentina star Messi winning a record eighth Ballon d’Or after leaving Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe believes Lionel Messi deserves to beat him to the 2023 Ballon d’Or and reckons the striker’s performance in the World Cup final long before the award was officially announced The deal is already locked in.
Mbappe and Messi were teammates at Paris Saint-Germain last season, winning the Ligue 1 title together before the latter left Europe for Inter Miami. They were on opposite sides in the World Cup final, though, with Mbappe’s hat-trick for France not enough to deny Messi and Argentina glory in Qatar.
PSG have struggled in the Champions League and some believe treble winner Erling Haaland is more valuable than Messi. However, Mbappe himself disagreed after finishing third on the podium.
“I’m not worried that I missed out on this award,” Mbappe told reporters. “Messi deserves it.”
“On the night of the 18th (December 2022), I know he won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or. I had a great season like Haaland, but when you win the World Cup everything becomes different. “
This is the first time Mbappe, who won the Golden Boy Award in 2017, has reached the podium in a Ballon d’Or competition. Although he scored eight goals at the World Cup, he admitted Messi’s trophy victory – the first World Cup of his storied career – was key to deciding who wins the top honor at the 2023 ceremony.
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Mbappe’s comments are at odds with those of former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Jerome Roten. “For me, Haaland should win the title,” Rosen told RMC Sport earlier this year.
“From August 2022 to June 2023, what criteria make us believe that Messi is better than others? Basically there is no criterion to say that he is number one.”
Rosen wasn’t the only one to applaud Haaland. Former Norway international Gunnar Halle, who played with the Manchester City striker’s father Alfie at Leeds United, also made the case for his compatriot, although he has recognized why Messi ultimately prevailed.
“He’s won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Champions League and scored almost 60 goals – I don’t know what else he can do!” Haller told Sunday Mirror Sport in early November. “He’s fantastic but I think people expect Messi to win.
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“They hope Erling will but because of the World Cup I think it’s always Messi. I’m not sure if anyone in Norway is surprised by that. Erling’s statistics are incredible, the way he scores and the wins he has Judging from the game, he probably should have won.
“But so be it. That happens sometimes. But it certainly doesn’t change people’s perception of him. You can see his name on the back of Manchester City shirts everywhere. Before them Manchester United Shirts – you’ll never see them again! “
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