Kylian Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or campaign branded ‘embarrassing’ by French pundit

Daniel Riolo has criticised Kylian Mbappe’s public push to win the Ballon d’Or, saying the Real Madrid forward’s latest comments had made the campaign “embarrassing”.

The annual award will be presented at a ceremony in London on 26 October, with leading candidates increasing their media appearances to promote their chances. Mbappe, like Lamine Yamal, has spoken repeatedly about why he believes he deserves the prize.

The France captain said on Tuesday that the Ballon d’Or was primarily an individual award, arguing that a player’s ability to produce outstanding personal performances was what influenced voters most.

Mbappe finished last season as La Liga’s leading scorer with 25 goals and topped the UEFA Champions League scoring charts with 15. During the summer, he also became the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, with 22 goals across three editions. However, he did not win a major trophy.

Riolo, a journalist and analyst with RMC Sport, questioned whether Mbappe’s campaign had become excessive, particularly given the timing of an interview conducted 48 hours before the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid.

Mbappe subsequently struggled in that match, while Real Madrid also produced a disappointing performance.

“He had a catastrophic game,” Riolo said on RMC’s After Foot programme.

The pundit argued that Mbappe had given the award too much importance and that it had become an obsession for him.

“What he says in this interview is largely demagoguery,” Riolo said. “He arrives with the decorations and the celebratory sweets, and you can see him from 1,000 kilometres away. It looks like a stolen car.”

The phrase was intended to suggest that the campaign appeared unusual and conspicuous.

Riolo also said Mbappe’s frequent interviews had made the pursuit of the award uncomfortable to watch.

“There is a huge exaggeration over what he does or does not contribute to the team,” he said. “I do not understand anything about this campaign. I understand its purpose, but I have never believed that the end justifies the means.

“It is like someone saying that the result is the only thing that matters in football.”

He added: “I will not say it is a devalued Ballon d’Or, but the way he is trying to achieve this success, if it happens, leaves me with a bitter feeling.”

During his media appearances, Mbappe has openly presented himself as one of the leading candidates. He also made indirect criticism of Ousmane Dembele without naming him.

In an interview with France Football published on 11 September, Mbappe said that, after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he had looked at the award and thought: “Even if one of them wins the Ballon d’Or, I would not swap places with him.”

Referring to Dembele, he added: “He has always been viewed as a talented player. As for me, I have always been seen as the chosen player.”