Mbappe Prioritising Champions League Over Ballon D

By Max Wise

Paris Saint Germain youngster, Kylian Mbappe, says winning the UEFA Champions League is his main priority ahead of the much coveted Ballon d’or award.

At just 20 years of age, Mbappe already has an enviable collection of team and individual honours most footballers can only dream of during the course of their careers.

Mbappe has won three French Ligue 1 titles as well as the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue on one occasion each.

The former AS Monaco man also impressed as France won the FIFA World Cup in Russia last summer and was named best young player of the tournament as well as becoming only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after the great Pele.

Mbappe was also the top scorer and voted best player in the French Ligue 1 last season but two trophies missing from his enviable trophy collection are the UEFA Champions League and Ballon d’or.

Paris Saint Germain once again flattered to deceive in the Champions League last season as they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Manchester United, making Mbappe miss out on Europe’s premier club competition.

The winners of the last five Ballon d’or awards won the Champions League with their clubs and Mbappe believes only a win in Europe will make him win football’s topmost individual award.

“The most important thing is to win the Champions League because you can win the Ballon d’Or and not stay in history,’’ Mbappe answered ESPN when asked about which of the two trophies he would prefer to win.

“You play with 10 players, you don’t play alone. If it was tennis, I would say Ballon d’Or because you play alone.

“Football is a sport that you play with a team and I think if you want to win the Ballon d’Or, you have to win the Champions League.

“You can’t win the Ballon d’Or without the Champions League now, it’s so important in the eyes of the world.

“I want to win the Champions League first. If I can win the Ballon d’Or, okay, but my objective is to win the Champions League first.”

Mbappe has cast his future in Paris in doubt recently with comments about seeking a new challenge fueling rumors of an impending switch to Real Madrid who have won three of the last four Champions Leagues.