Kylian Mbappé (26, striker for Real Madrid) took advantage of his appearance on Téléfoot to show strong support for Ousmane Dembélé (28), a Ballon d’Or candidate after his outstanding season with Paris Saint-Germain. The former PSG captain highlighted the merit of his ex-teammate while also wishing his friend Achraf Hakimi (26) a high finish.
“He deserves it. I hope he wins. I’ve supported him from the beginning, it was natural for me. There are votes, but if it were only up to me, I’d have brought it home to him. I also hope Achraf (Hakimi) will be well ranked—he had a historic season. Lamine Yamal? He’s a very good player, but he plays for Barcelona, so I can’t say anything.”
Mbappé knows full well that he won’t be in the running this year, and rather than avoiding the debate, he can only take satisfaction in the fact that his two friends, Hakimi and Dembélé, are contenders for the trophy. This individual award is on everyone’s lips, in nearly every interview. Whether one appreciates it or not, it’s there. Dembélé certainly deserves to win it—just as Hakimi or other PSG players could after such an exceptional season.
The French captain’s backing of his friend Dembélé is not surprising, and it carries weight. In the Ballon d’Or microcosm, winners have often been those who not only performed on the pitch but also ran a strong… communication campaign.
