Mbappe 'hurt' by 2021 Ballon d'Or ranking & puts blame on PSG

2018 World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe is reportedly feeling hard done by the Ballon d'Or rankings and blames Paris Saint-Germain for his regression. While the Frenchman finished ninth in the Ballon d'Or rankings, his PSG teammate Lionel Messi took the Golden Ball home for the seventh time.

Following France's World Cup triumph in 2018, then-18-year-old Mbappe finished fourth in that year's Ballon d'Or rankings. Three years later, he has dropped down to ninth, despite improving many aspects of his game.

Kylian Mbappe enjoyed a decent campaign last season but failed to guide PSG to major silverware. Not only were the Parisians unable to lift the coveted Champions League, but they were also beaten by Lille in the Ligue 1 race. Having failed to secure either of the big trophies, Mbappe could not even break into the top five of the 2021 Ballon d'Or standings.

As per Spanish news outlet AS, Mbappe is 'hurt' by PSG’s inability to win trophies and believes a move to Real Madrid would help his case. AS also claim that Mbappe wishes to follow in his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps and create an unshakeable legacy at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo won four of his five Ballons d'Or during his nine-season stay in the Spanish capital. He also won four Champions Leagues at the Bernabeu. Mbappe, who is desperate to add these two accolades to his collection, has picked Real Madrid as his next destination.

Real Madrid tried to take the player off PSG’s hands last summer, but the Ligue 1 side refused to let the player go. PSG have consistently tried to tie Mbappe down with a long-term contract but have come up short so far. Mbappe, who'll be out of contract in June 2022, only has one destination in mind and the official announcement could come in under a month.

Lionel Messi becomes PSG’s first Ballon d'Or winner

Following his win on Monday, Lionel Messi became the first PSG player ever to win the Ballon d'Or while playing for the French club. Messi’s seventh Ballon d'Or win was primarily influenced by his exploits for Barcelona and Argentina.

However, thanks to a timely transfer, PSG now have the privilege of calling Messi their first Ballon d'Or winner.