Mbappe talks on the Ballon D’or

By Boluwatife Ezekiel Olaleye

Kylian Mbappe insists he has no interest in succeeding Cristiano Ronaldo as the next winner of the Ballon d’Or.

The teenager produced an outstanding display as France edged a tight World Cup semi final against Belgium, reaching Sunday’s showpiece against either England or Croatia thanks to Samuel Umtiti’s second half header.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappe has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of his idol Ronaldo, whose transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus was confirmed earlier on Tuesday as the 33-year-old ended his nine-year, trophy-laden spell in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or in each of the last two years but his and Lionel Messi’s stranglehold on the award appears to be coming to a close, not that Mbappe has given it a second thought.

‘I couldn’t care less about that,’ he told TF1. ‘I want the World Cup. I want to sleep with it.’