It seems as if every year, there are a few surprises with the final vote for the Ballon d’Or award. This year, one can say that Kylian Mbappe’s sixth-place finish for the 2022 Ballon d’Or award was among the most notable shockers.
Even though Mbappe finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 play and also scored six goals in UEFA Champions League play, he still ranked outside the top five for the sport’s most coveted individual award this year. For former Ligue 1 forward Ludovic Obraniak, as he explained to L’Equipe, it came as no surprise to him that Mbappe was not seen as a serious contender for the honor by the voters.
“That’s his place,” Obraniak said. “When you see the winners who are in front of him, there are titles, a capital importance in major matches. And then there is especially on the level of efficiency and here we talk about Champions League.
“Certainly Mbappe has scored a lot this season in Ligue 1 but Ligue 1 does not have the same content for the voters as the Premier League, La Liga, or others. For me, the ranking doesn’t surprise me even if I put Courtois in the three. Kylian is in his place.”
Mbappe is off to a promising start to the ongoing season, as he has tallied 13 goals in all competitions for both PSG and the France national team. For now, he is set to feature in PSG’s upcoming Ligue 1 fixture against AC Ajaccio.
