Despite scoring 54 goals, a hat-trick in the World Cup final, and being a runner-up in the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé finished third in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings. Behind Haaland and Messi, is the PSG player paying the price for his presence in Ligue 1? Charlotte Lorgeré seems to think so.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or had three credible candidates: Haaland, Mbappé, and Messi. In the end, the Argentine surpassed the Norwegian and the Frenchman. Kylian Mbappé was the lowest ranked of the trio in the votes of journalists from around the world. This is a true disappointment considering his impressive performance in the previous season. He scored 54 goals in all competitions, 41 of which were for PSG, far more than his former teammate Messi. In the World Cup, he netted eight times, including a hat-trick in the final, while Haaland wasn’t even present in Qatar. Additionally, he enjoys a positive brand image worldwide, with a certain charisma.
Does Mbappé need to leave Ligue 1 and PSG to win the Ballon d’Or? Perhaps. More and more observers are questioning whether Kylian Mbappé is undervalued compared to his rivals by exclusively playing in Ligue 1 with the powerful PSG. While Messi is now also a PSG player, the Pulga has the advantage of having made a mark at Barcelona and with the Argentine national team. Haaland, on the other hand, plays for Manchester City in the best league in the world. This confirms that Mbappé will need to leave France to gain more credibility, according to international footballer and consultant Charlotte Lorgeré.
❓ Mbappé doit-il quitter le PSG pour gagner le Ballon d’Or ?
🎙️ @CLorgere : “Il lui faut un autre challenge” #EDG pic.twitter.com/AZ0RY1eLv5
— L’ÉQUIPE de Greg (@lequipedegreg) November 1, 2023
“I think he needs a new challenge, a different league. I want to see how he adapts to different opponents, different players, and different teammates. He’s having a good start to the season, trying to adapt to a new system and a new way of playing under his coach, but he’s still stagnating. His image is stagnating at PSG, and I want to see him outside of his comfort zone, plain and simple. (Are the journalists expecting that?) Yes, I think so. He’s still a young player and he arrived at PSG early. For me, he needs to go to another club. I want to see him adapt, see how he creates difficulties and tries to solve them,” she analyzed in L’Equipe de Greg. With his contract at PSG still not renewed, Kylian Mbappé has the opportunity to follow this advice as early as next June.
Despite his incredible goal-scoring record and impressive performances, Kylian Mbappé’s third-place finish in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings has raised questions about the impact of his association with PSG and Ligue 1. Many believe that in order to enhance his credibility and chances of winning the prestigious award, Mbappé should seek a new challenge in a different league. Whether he chooses to heed this advice and leave PSG remains to be seen, but it is clear that Mbappé’s future decisions will be closely watched by football enthusiasts and journalists around the world.
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