Kylian Mbappe insists he is ignoring any talk about his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or after inspiring France’s comeback in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Iceland.
France appeared to be heading for a deserved 2-0 defeat in Guingamp after goals from Birkir Bjarnason and Kari Arnason had Iceland in control with 32 minutes remaining.
But Mbappe, who entered as a substitute shortly after Iceland’s second goal, saw a shot find the net via Hannes Halldorsson and Holmar Eyjolfsson in the 86th minute, before then converting a late penalty after Kolbeinn Sigthorsson handled in the box.
Unsurprisingly talk turned to the Ballon d’Or at full-time after he was named in the 30-man shortlist, though he insists he is trying to not pay attention to his chances.
“I do not think about it, because when I think too much of something, I become individualistic,” Mbappe told TF1.
“I prefer to think of the collective, it is thanks to my teammates at PSG and in the national team that I am there [in the list of nominees]. I will give everything until the end of the votes and we will see.”
It was put to Mbappe that he has scored more goals than either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo when they were his age, but the 19-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star is not getting carried away with himself.
“I think that you can’t compare me to the Ronaldo and Messi of those times, because they’re different eras,” he said. “Stats are more important nowadays. I don’t compare myself to them.”
