In an interview with beIN Sports, France manager Didier Deschamps commented on the potential merit of France captain Kylian Mbappé (24) winning the Ballon d’Or in 2023. The PSG forward eventually finished third in the voting for football’s most prestigious individual award behind Erling Haaland in second and the eventual winner Lionel Messi.

When asked by beIN Sports about Mbappé finishing third in the voting, the former OM manager said: “He would have deserved to win… I’m not saying that Messi didn’t deserve it and that Haaland wouldn’t have deserved it. He is young, the years also pass but with what he has achieved, he would have deserved to win.”

Deschamps also added that he believes Mbappé didn’t receive enough votes: “I was surprised, even a little more, by the vote of some. Not putting Kylian Mbappé in the top five is really… I’m not going to use the term dishonesty, but we’re not far from it all the same.” The former Monaco youth talent finished 192 points behind his former PSG teammate Lionel Messi in the voting.

Despite not being given the nod for the Ballon d’Or, 2023 was an impressive year for Mbappé as he totalled 54 goals across all competitions and won Ligue 1 with PSG. Whilst his heroics in the World Cup final weren’t enough to secure a second consecutive title for Les Bleus, after being named captain, the 24-year-old will be hoping to make amends at the upcoming EURO 2024 in Germany.