Kylian Mbappe has claimed his only regret of his young football career is having to grow up too fast.
The French international was just 18 years old when he reached the Champions League semi-finals with Monaco in 2017, prompting a nine-figure move to Paris Saint-Germain which remains a record for a teenager. He also won the World Cup at 19, scoring for France in the final against Croatia, and is now one of the world's best-paid players thanks to the terms of his latest PSG deal.
Mbappe also reached the Champions League final in 2020, with PSG losing to Bayern Munich, but has yet to win the competition. With European glory and a first Ballon d'Or on his to-do list, the 23-year-old has opened up about both targets.
“The only thing I regret a little bit is to grow up like a man really fast," Mbappe told the New York Times. “It’s the life I’ve always wanted to have. It’s a different life. But like I say, I’m happy. And I’m thankful.”
Mbappe was close to joining Real Madrid over the summer, with his PSG contract set to come to an end. However, he agreed new terms at the eleventh hour and walked out onto the Parc des Princes pitch to inform fans of his decision.
The Bondy-born forward believes he and compatriot Karim Benzema are among the favourites for the Ballon d'Or this year, along with Bayern Munich and Senegal star Sadio Mane. The first step towards keeping himself in the mix will come in midweek, with PSG beginning their continental campaign at home to Juventus before taking on Maccabi Haifa and Benfica in their other group games.
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“I think I’m about to win it,” Mbappé said of his Ballon d'Or hopes. “I always say I dream about everything. I have no limits.
"So of course, like you say, it’s a new generation. And Ronaldo, Messi — you’re gonna stop. We have to find someone else, someone new.”
One of Messi and Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or in 12 of the past 13 seasons in which it has been awarded. The only exception is Luka Modric's victory in 2018, though Messi himself suggested Robert Lewandowski deserved to win in 2020, when no award was handed out.
Benzema is considered by many to be the front-runner for this year's Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid striker scored a competition-leading 15 goals in last season's Champions League, including hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea in back-to-back games, and also scored 27 times in La Liga as his club finished 13 points clear of rivals Barcelona at the top of the table.
