It’s over for Mbappé!

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By: Manu Tournoux

It's over for Mbappé!

According to Goal, a few hours before the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, Lionel Messi is ahead of Erling Haaland and not Kylian Mbappé, who must be content with 3rd place of the year.

Present in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or during the last five editions (7th, 4th, 6th, 9th and 6th), Kylian Mbappé will finally secure, at 24 years old, a podium in the individual award created by France Football. The French prodigy, best player in Ligue 1 with PSG and top scorer in the 2022 World Cup with the Blues, will have to settle for third place behind Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

The suspense is lifted a few hours before the ceremony (from 8:45 p.m. on the L’Equipe channel) by the media Goal, who found the final ranking. Thus, Messi, already a Ballon d’Or record holder, will win his 8th crown and it is Haaland who will be his runner-up. The Norwegian crack was Messi’s real competitor this year after scoring 52 goals with Manchester City, a club that won a Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.

Mbappé makes an appearance on the podium, but is ahead of Vinicius Jr, new star of Real Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ilkay Gündogan and Julian Alvarez, winners of the UCL with Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens, all finish in the top 10. 2022 Ballon d’Or Karim Benzema would be 13th. Antoine Griezmann and Randal Kolo Muani, also in the 30 nominated, are outside the top 20.

Manu Tournoux

Written by:

Manu Tournoux

Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, his expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans.