"If it was up to me, I’d deliver to his house myself" - Kylian Mbappe wants former club teammate to win 2025 Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has backed France teammate Ousmane Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The duo shared the pitch during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as well.

Dembele was outstanding for the Parisians last season, helping them win a historic treble. The 28-year-old finished the campaign with 35 goals and 16 assists from 53 games across competitions.

Speaking to TF1, Mbappe added that he was willing to deliver the coveted prize to Dembele's house if required. He said:

“Ballon d'Or? Dembele deserves it. If it was up to me, I’d deliver to his house myself. I hope Hakimi will be ranked up there too.”

The Real Madrid superstar has also been included in the nominees list for this year's award. He moved to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer as a free agent following the expiry of his contract with PSG.

The 26-year-old registered 44 goals from 59 games with Los Blancos last season, winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Interestingly, Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha are also in the running for this year's Ballon d'Or. Both players had a key role in PSG's historic campaign under Luis Enrique. Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are in the mix as well, after impressive individual campaigns.

Has Kylian Mbappe won the Ballon d'Or?

Kylian Mbappe hasn't won the Ballon d'Or so far in his career. His only podium finish at the awards was in 2023, when he ended up third behind Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

Last year, the Frenchman finished sixth in the final rankings as Rodri lifted the top prize. The new Real Madrid No. 10 is not considered the frontrunner for the award in 2025 either.

Speaking earlier this year, as cited by TNT Sports, Mbappe insisted that he won't be crestfallen if he fails to win the coveted prize this year. He said:

"I have my own opinions, which might be different from others. There are votes - around 100 journalists, I think. The only award I can directly influence is the Golden Shoe, because that depends on my feet and my performance on the pitch. The Ballon d’Or doesn’t depend on me - there are other factors. If I win it, great. If not, I’ll be fine."

The Frenchman won his first European Golden Shoe last season after scoring 31 goals in 34 league games for Real Madrid.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written nearly 10000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit