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Kylian Mbappé, a contender for the Ballon d'Or despite a season without titles with Spain's Real Madrid and the French national team's exit from the World Cup semi-finals, stressed on Thursday the individual nature of the award, which rewards a player's ability to "steal the spotlight."
The player, who has yet to win the award despite his stunning individual performances, said in an interview with the radio station
"RFI": "They won't announce a team in the envelope. They will announce a player. (...) The ability to deliver an individual performance and catch the eye is what leaves an impact on people regarding an award like the Ballon d'Or."
He added: "I have been the top scorer in the biggest competitions, and I think this could be a good year for me, and I feel that."
Mbappé finished last season as the top scorer in the Spanish League (25 goals) and the Champions League (15 goals), and this summer, thanks to 10 additional goals, he became the all-time top scorer in the World Cup (22 goals in three editions).
Mbappé will compete, in particular, with his "Les Bleus" teammate Ousmane Dembélé, who is seeking to win the prestigious individual award for the second year in a row, armed with his Champions League victory, as well as with Argentina's Lionel Messi, who reached the World Cup final with Argentina, and a number of Spanish players who were crowned world champions, such as Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Ferran Torres.
Among the votes, 20 out of 100 will represent the African continent, which pleases the captain of the French national team, whose roots are Algerian through his mother and Cameroonian through his father.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco star added, "I have always felt great love every time I set foot on the African continent (...) and it always makes me happy when people speak well of me and link my name to this award, the Ballon d'Or."
The Ballon d'Or award ceremony will be held on October 26.
Mbappé also commented on Zinedine Zidane's arrival to lead the French national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps, who "made history" because he "truly returned the French team to where it should be. For that, we will always be grateful to him."
The striker, whose continued role as captain of the national team was confirmed by Zidane, continued: "Now, it is a new phase with a new coach. It is the beginning, it is something new. We will have to make our mark, but we will immediately enter the atmosphere of competition, and we will have to start winning again immediately, because that is what people expect from us. And of course, the French team, we always expect it to be at the top."
He noted, "We are in the same city (Madrid), and therefore we have met several times. We knew each other before, but I am really waiting to arrive at the headquarters (in Clairefontaine) to truly know what he expects from us as a team, and what he expects from me as a player."
The first gathering of the French national team in the Zidane era began on Monday in Clairefontaine, where Mbappé arrived during the day, but he did not participate in the first training session.
The French national team will play four matches in the Nations League against Turkey and Belgium on the 25th and 28th of this month, then against Italy and Belgium on October 2 and 5 at the Stade de France.
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