Kylian Mbappe shows where his priorities lie with fresh demands to France bosses
Kylian Mbappe has started life at Real Madrid in good goalscoring form but the French superstar wants to slow his season down in order to make 2025 his best year yet
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorKylian Mbappe has told France bosses that only wants to play 'important' matches for his country as he seeks to win the Ballon d'Or in 2025.
Mbappe, 25, has made winning the coveted award his priority for the foreseeable future, having signed for Real Madrid this summer and started the season with seven goals in 11 games for the reigning Spanish and European champions. The former Paris Saint-Germain superstar knows that staying fit will be crucial in his bid and after picking up a muscle injury late last month, Real granted him a week off during the international break.
That's despite Mbappe, who captains France, playing 71 minutes in Madrid's most recent match, a 2-0 against Villarreal. On Thursday, while his country beat Isreal 4-1 in their third Nations League fixture, Mbappe was spotted at a nightclub in Stockholm, Sweden.
Images of him partying caused a stir in France, although national team bosses knew about his excursion. French outlet Foot Mercato report that Mbappe is carefully monitoring the amount of games which he plays, with many top-level footballers criticising increased fixture congestion after the Champions League was revamped to include two extra games in the league phase.
There's also the Club World Cup which Real will take part in across the USA in June and July next year, with organisers FIFA keen to have the best players on show for the newly-expanded tournament. Mbappe was back training on Saturday and is expected to feature when his club play Celta Vigo next Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti's side then welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabeu in the Champions League before hosting top-of-the-table Barcelona in the season's first El Clasico. Mbappe could also see one of his new team-mates win the Ballon d'Or on October 28, with Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior among the favourites.
Get involved! Who'll win the Ballon d'Or in 2024? Tell us your prediction in the comments section.
Mbappe's idol and Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo has, though, backed the 25-year-old to win the Ballon d'Or in the Spanish capital. "I think he will do well because of the structure of the club... it's nice, it's good, it's solid," Ronaldo predicted on his YouTube channel. "They have a great coach and the president who has been there for many many years.
"I think it won't be a big problem because of his talent. He has shown what he is capable of doing. In my opinion, he can be the next Golden Ball [Ballon d'Or] winner. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham, Lamine [Yamal]... I think this new generation, they have a lot of potential."
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