”Me, Me, Me!” France Legend Blasts Mbappe Over Ballon d’Or Claims
1991 Ballon d’Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin has criticised Kylian Mbappe ahead of this year’s award announcement. Papin praised the France captain’s talent and impressive records but accused him of making the race too much about himself.
He particularly objected to Mbappe reportedly saying that nobody else deserved the award. Papin believes England captain Harry Kane should win the prestigious prize.
As the Ballon d'Or announcement draws closer, France captain Kylian Mbappe has come under criticism from French football legend Jean-Pierre Papin, who believes the Real Madrid star's confidence has crossed into arrogance. Papin, the 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, acknowledged Mbappe's exceptional talent, records and impressive numbers but questioned the way he has spoken about the prestigious individual award.
Speaking to Foot Mercato, Papin said Mbappe's comments had increasingly become focused on himself, highlighting what he described as a "me, me, me" attitude. The former Marseille star was particularly critical of Mbappe's reported claim that nobody else deserved the Ballon d'Or more than him. According to Papin, such a statement went too far because the award is ultimately decided by voters based on several established criteria, rather than by a player's own assessment.
Despite his criticism, Papin made it clear that he admires Mbappe and believes the French forward meets many of the requirements to challenge for the award. However, he feels the image Mbappe projects could work against him during the voting process.
Papin also revealed his preferred winner, backing England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The comments have added another layer of debate to an already closely watched race for football's biggest individual prize.