Deschamps criticises the 2023 Ballon d'Or, claims Mbappe deserved it
Runner-up in the World Cup with France and scorer of three goals in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, Kylian Mbappe had to be content with third place in the 2023 Ballon d'Or. Despite achieving his highest ranking, the Frenchman was visibly disappointed.
In an interview with BeIn Sports, 'Les' Bleus coach Didier Deschamps continued to maintain that the PSG star deserved to win the most prestigious individual award, given his recent season. He also took the opportunity to express his incomprehension at the Ballon d'Or votes.
"He deserved to win it. It's a disappointment that he came third. After that, these are votes by journalists from all over the world. I'm not saying that Messi didn't deserve it or that Haaland didn't deserve it. He's young, but with what he's achieved, he would have deserved it. I don't have to console him. He's disappointed. After that, the votes... These are votes that come from all over the place. I was surprised, to say the least, and even a little more surprised by some people's votes. Not putting Mbappe in the top five is really... I'm not going to use the word dishonesty, but it's not far off all the same," he said.
As a reminder, the three criteria used by France Football for the Ballon d'Or are individual performance, collective performance and accumulated honours, and the player's class and sense of fair play.
Read on besoccer.com
