Mbappe campaigns again for Ballon d'Or ahead of vote

The Real Madrid forward says his individual season makes him the deserving winner and admits defeat would wound him.

Real Madrid have stumbled through the opening weeks of the campaign, dropping two La Liga matches and surviving a number of close calls before the first international break. Kylian Mbappe, though, has kept his focus on the Ballon d'Or, speaking about the award with more fire than he has shown when addressing the team's difficulties.

Following a record-setting first season at the club, the Frenchman ranks among the favorites for the prize. Yet a year without silverware at either club or international level counts as a mark against him, and he has responded by lobbying openly for the honor in interviews, declaring himself the rightful winner. "I would vote for myself to win the Ballon d'Or," he said.

Speaking to RFI, Mbappe built his case around personal performance. "I had a great year individually, and that's the top criterion for the Ballon d'Or," he said, adding that he finished as the leading scorer across the season's biggest competitions.

He went further, expressing confidence that the coming vote could go his way. "I'm feeling good about the Ballon d'Or this year, I think this could be the right year for me. I would be disappointed if I didn't win it," he said. Mbappe closed by framing a loss in personal terms: "I am a competitor, and when a competitor loses, he is sad. My competitive soul would be hurt!"