BALLON D'OR
Mbappé loses focus after Ballon d’Or disappointment
The forward, who came third in the Ballon d’Or ranking, was seen to be somewhat upset with his final position on the list.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, held on Monday at the Châtelet Theatre, Paris, was the first in which Kylian Mbappé finished among the three top players in the world.
The French striker, however, was seen looking uncomfortable throughout the ceremony, gesticulating on several occasions and keeping a serious face on when pictured, perhaps showing that he expected to be higher up the list.
At 24 years old, Kylian Mbappé, who has reiterated that the Ballon d’Or is “one of his main objectives”, still does not know what it is like to get hold of the award that France Football magazine has given out since 1956; at the same age, Messi, the winner on Monday, had already achieved four.
Mbappé was the last to arrive and the first to leave
The captain of the French team was the last to step onto the red carpet placed outside the Châtelet Theater: he was also was the first to leave. In fact, his presence at the gala was not confirmed until the last minute, it was not a guarantee until a few hours before that he would actually attend. Finally, with a serious face on, he appeared and witnessed Messi receive Ballon d’Or number 8 from the first row.
According to L’Équipe, Mbappé had time to exchange words with some of the winners, including Dibu Martínez, who during his speech after receiving the Yashin award, praised the PSG player’s performance in the World Cup final. According to information from the French newspaper, the Argentine goalkeeper privately asked his rival in the World Cup final how he had prepared the three penalties he scored against him in Lusail on December 18, 2022. He responded: “I decided to shoot down low, since you are very tall.”
Dibu Martínez booed by Ballon d’Or crowd
One of the more interesting moments of the Ballon d’Or ceremony occurred when Emiliano Martínez took the microphone after being confirmed as the best goalkeeper in the world. The incredible save that the goalkeeper made from Kolo Muani’s shot in the dying moments of the World Cup final, in the 93rd minute, was repeated on loop, followed by a close-up of Mbappé and, as a result, some boos from the crowd could be heard that provoked that Didier Drogba to step in and calm the tension.
Kylian Mbappé will look to be Messi’s successor at the next Ballon d’Or ceremony. To do this, regardless of whether he wins Ligue 1 or not, he will have to perform well in the Champions League, a competition that has eluded him since he became a professional player. There is also the small matter of the upcoming Euros, which will be held in Germany, and potentially the Olympic Games, which are to be hosted by Paris, the city where he was born.
Before then, in May, his future will become clearer. Mbappé finishes his contract with PSG in June 2024 and his renewal remains an enigma right now. The sound of silence in Paris is deafening and the player, tight-lipped since June, has not given a single hint on where his future lies. At the moment, his other great desire, the Ballon d’Or, looks unlikely and proof of this is the attitude he showed, at least in front of the public, throughout the recent ceremony.