Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé came in third in the Ballon d’Or award ranking. The 24-year-old lost out to his former teammate, Lionel Messi. The Argentine won his eighth award on Monday, but now there’s a new era beginning.
Next year will be the first without Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the conversation. As a result, could 2024 be the year the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner lifts the Ballon d’Or? Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique shared his thoughts on the player’s chances in the coming years.
“To win the Ballon d’Or, in addition to the individual contribution that he already has, you need trophies,” Enrique told reporters (h/t Paris Fans). “We try to win as many as possible with PSG. A player of this level, when he also has success, has Ballons d’Or. It’s a certainty.
Mbappé will have a summer to beef up his candidacy. The French winger can win UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2024 Summer Olympics to pair with his achievements in club football.
The PSG star’s competition will likely be Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. Nonetheless, Mbappé is heating up and could be motivated due to not winning the award this year to ensure that doesn’t happen in 2024.
