Kylian Mbappe Fires Ballon d’Or Warning at PSG Teammate Lionel Messi and Others

• Kylian Mbappe is determined to win the coveted Ballon d'Or prize in short order
• The 24-year-old is among favourites to win the 2023 edition of the coveted award
• He will face tough competition from clubmate Lionel Messi and Vinicius Junior

Kylian Mbappe has issued a light-hearted warning to contenders for the 2023 Ballon d'Or awards.

The Frenchman recently notched his 201st goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Nantes, overtaking Edinson Cavani to become the club's record goal-scorer.

He has racked up a staggering 39 goals in 39 matches for both PSG and France, putting him in a good position to scoop home his first Ballon d'Or prize.

However, the 24-year-old will face stiff opposition from teammate Lionel Messi, who beat Mbappe to the 2022 World Cup title and the FIFA The Best men's prize, according to the latest power rankings by GOAL.

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Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and red-hot Manchester United forward, Marcus Rashford stand an outside chance of bagging the coveted individual diadem.

Despite the herculean task of beating his competitors, including Messi - who has been tipped as the favourite for the award - Mbappe is unfazed.

"Ballon d'Or? For sure, it's a mission for me to win the Ballon d'Or one day," the French star said as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

Scandal rocks Ballon d'Or awards

In a shocking development, the Ballon d'Or awards have been mired in scandal after a player claims his votes were altered.

Messi, the winner of a record seven individual prizes, was also named FIFA's The Best Men's Player at a ceremony last Monday.

However, the ex-captain of Equatorial Guinea, Juvenal Edjogo has revealed a shocking fact about the voting procedure.

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Mbappe to win 8th award?

Sports Brief previously reported on Messi being tipped as favourite to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or, going by the latest power rankings for January.

The 35-year-old forward has been in sublime form for PSG as well, having scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in 21 appearances this season.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is rated ahead of teammates, Mbappe and Neymar, who are ranked second and fifth in rankings respectively.