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The ‘Holy Grail’ of Ballon d’Or success remains agonisingly out of reach for Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has long been lauded as one of the best players on the planet.

Such a standing is thoroughly deserved, with the France international boasting qualities that separate him from mere mortals.

Few are as quick over the ground, while there are not many who can claim to match him in the finishing stakes.

Said ability has carried Mbappe to the very top of the game, with a World Cup crown captured in 2018.

He now has European Championship glory in his sights and an opportunity to further cement his place among the global elite.

Battled




A broken nose suffered in his first outing at that competition threw a fitness spanner into the works, but France have battled their way to another semi-final and an 11/4 spot within Euro 2024 betting odds.

With only 180 minutes between Les Bleus and another piece of major silverware, it comes as no surprise to find that Spain vs France betting is struggling to pick between two worthy winners.

Both teams are loaded with the talent and match-altering ability that could swing any tie in their favour.

Mbappe certainly fills that role for France, as a talismanic captain of his country. He has a new challenge at Real Madrid to look forward to, having finally decided to sever ties with Paris Saint-Germain.

A big step outside of a homeland comfort zone is being taken as PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Some 15 trophies have been captured across seven years, to sit alongside a remarkable haul of 256 goals.

Mbappe has, however, failed to land the most prestigious of honours. Champions League success has proved elusive, but joining 15-time winners Real should help to put him into contention for that particular prize on a regular basis.

Then there is the fabled Ballon d’Or.

Given all that he has achieved, it comes as some surprise to find that Mbappe has only finished inside the top three of Golden Ball voting on one occasion – when claiming third spot in 2023.

He has made no secret of the fact that he intends to follow in the most illustrious of footsteps, saying: “I'm sure many dream of those moments, imagining the stress of waiting for the rankings to be revealed, sitting next to the greatest players on the planet... the Ballon d'Or awakens our dreams. We can win titles, and other awards, but this is the Holy Grail.”

Iconic





The thing about Holy Grails is, they have a tendency to fall agonisingly out of reach.

That has been the case for Mbappe in his Ballon d’Or quest thus far, with iconic figures such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo blocking his path.

They appear to be stepping aside for a new generation to move through, with the expectation being that Mbappe will sit towards the front of that pack.

Landing more trophies with club and country will undoubtedly strengthen his claims to the title of best in the world, but 2024 looks like being another case of near misses and the flamboyant Frenchman must ensure that does not become an unfortunate theme that ends up tarnishing his legacy.


- Kylian Mbappe stats