Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid forward, has come in for widespread criticism in Spain after speaking publicly about his chances of competing for the Ballon d'Or, just days before voting for the award closes.
The Frenchman insisted he had delivered "an excellent year on an individual level", arguing that personal performance is the most important criterion in the race for the Ballon d'Or crown. His remarks provoked strong reactions from a number of journalists on "Cadena SER" radio.
According to the French network "Foot Mercato", Spanish journalist Julio Pulido questioned how Real Madrid's fans would take the comments at a time when the team have not won a major title recently. His colleague Javier Iraiz reckoned the French forward would have been better off staying quiet, especially after his showing in the derby against Atlético Madrid.
Harsh criticism over his Ballon d'Or candidacy
The criticism did not stop at his remarks. It extended to Mbappé's chances of winning the award, with Antón Meana revealing that he does not even rank the Real Madrid forward among the top five players in the world.
Meana pointed to names such as Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, placing Mbappé below all of them in his personal race for the Ballon d'Or.
Dani Garrido, meanwhile, criticised Mbappé's excessive focus on his individual figures. He noted that Harry Kane won the Golden Boot, and argued that the Ballon d'Or should not be judged on individual statistics alone.
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Garrido went further still, homing in on Mbappé's performances in the big matches. "Scoring goals in the World Cup against Iraq, Sweden and Paraguay is wonderful," he said, before pointing to the player's lack of impact during France's 2-0 defeat to Spain.
All of this lands while Mbappé publicly defends his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, in a race packed with fierce competition between some of the biggest stars in world football.
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