'I made a lot of history' - Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe targets Ballon d'Or after World Cup Golden Shoe triumph

Mbappe has never been one to shy away from high expectations, and the Madrid forward is now leaning into the buzz surrounding his chances of winning a first career Ballon d'Or. The Frenchman’s confidence is backed by a staggering statistical resume from the summer’s tournament. Despite France finishing fourth, Mbappe secured the Golden Boot with 10 goals, taking his career total in the competition to 22. This feat officially made him the World Cup's all-time top scorer, a record that has significantly boosted his standing in the eyes of the public.

"Of course I made a lot of history this summer in the most important competition in sport, but we'll see. I have the feeling that it's a good year for that, but there's still a long time to go and people are free to vote for whoever they think is the best player in the world," Mbappe stated.

The 27-year-old believes that his current environment at the Santiago Bernabeu provides the perfect platform to finally secure the trophy that has eluded him. He noted that the association between his club and individual glory is something that supporters remind him of constantly.

"I think that when you play for Real Madrid, which is the best club in the world, naturally people associate you with that kind of award, they associate you with collective awards, individual awards." He went on to elaborate on how the public perception has shifted following his recent performances on the international stage, adding: "A lot of people, when they see me in the street, talk to me about the Ballon d'Or, a lot of people talk about me as a possible Ballon d'Or winner..."

Despite his prolific output, Madrid's start to the season has been met with scrutiny. Some analysts have suggested that Mourinho's side looks unbalanced with Mbappe and Vinicius Junior operating in the same attack, drawing unfavourable comparisons to the work rate seen by Ousmane Dembele at PSG or Raphinha at Barcelona.

"We have to improve," admitted Mbappe. "But I could play dumb and tell you that I score more goals than (Dembele and Raphinha), and that they need to score more goals to be like me. Everyone is different, but I want to do things intelligently and say that of course I have to improve and all that, but I don't like comparisons because I think I do a lot of things that others don't do."

Despite the intense focus on his personal achievements, Mbappe was quick to point out that his primary objective remains bringing silverware back to Madrid. Under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, the team is looking to find its balance after a somewhat uneven start to the domestic campaign.

He dismissed the idea that he must choose between scoring and winning, though he remains firm on his priorities. "I’d happily score only 30 goals if it meant winning trophies," he declared. "I’d rather win titles. If I have to choose between the two, I’ll take the trophies. But I always want to score goals. I want to do both."