France international of Cameroonian descent Kylian Mbappe will not travel to Paris for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Real Madrid star has confirmed.
The former Paris Saint Germain is out of the picture following Real Madrid’s trophyless run last season, with Dembele, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha emerging as the clear favourites.
Mbappe in an interview confirmed he will not be attending the ceremony, while backing his compatriot Ousmane Dembélé to scoop the award.
“I will be happy if Dembélé wins [it] because he is my friend and I have supported him from the start. I will watch it on TV and hope that he wins it,” said Mbappe.
Meanwhile, the pacey attacker has dreamt of lifting the prestigious award in subsequent years.
“To win it, you have to win things, so I have to help my club win trophies, and after that, we’ll see,” Mbappé told CBS Sports in the wake of Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday night.
Last season, Ousmane Dembélé played 53 matches across all competitions, netted 35 goals, and provided 16 assists. He was instrumental as Paris Saint Germain defied all odds to secure a historic treble, winning the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coup de France, giving him the edge.
