In the Ballon d’Or debate, Jean-Pierre Papin has drawn a sharp line between scoring records and the manner in which a player presents his case. The 1991 winner believes Kylian Mbappé’s public push has gone too far, while Harry Kane has emerged as his preferred candidate.
Key takeaways
- Jean-Pierre Papin criticised what he sees as Kylian Mbappé’s overly forceful Ballon d’Or campaign.
- The former France striker said the award is decided by others, not claimed by a candidate.
- Papin raised fair play as a weakness in Mbappé’s profile for the prize.
- Harry Kane is Papin’s leading choice ahead of the ceremony in London on 26 October.
- Kane scored 73 times over the year: 61 for Bayern Munich and 12 for England.
Papin questions Mbappé’s approach
Mbappé is among the major contenders for the France Football Ballon d’Or, following a period in which he has made a prominent case for his own candidacy. Papin, while stressing his admiration for the French forward, felt the messaging had become excessively centred on the player himself.
“I like Kylian very much; he is a man of records,” Papin said. “But there comes a point when it becomes me, me, me. You become a Ballon d’Or winner; you do not announce that you want to be one.”
For Papin, the nature of the award means a candidate should leave the verdict to those voting. He said Mbappé’s communication had at one stage suggested that no other player deserved the trophy, an attitude he considered “a little too much”.
The former AC Milan and Marseille forward also pointed to the award’s wider assessment criteria. While he had no broader issue with Mbappé’s credentials, he argued that fair play did not work in the France captain’s favour.
Kane earns Papin’s backing
Papin instead singled out Kane, praising both the England captain’s output and his conduct away from the pitch. The Bayern Munich striker finished as the European Golden Shoe winner after an extraordinary scoring year.
“I have a soft spot for Harry Kane,” Papin said. “He had an incredible season, with 73 goals in the year — 61 for Bayern and 12 for England. He won the Golden Shoe and I think he also had a very, very good World Cup.”
Beyond the numbers, Papin said Kane had distinguished himself through a measured public manner. “He is classy when he speaks; there is never a wrong word. He is only there for football, and it is good to see.”
