Mbappe Tipped To Win Ballon d’Or Ahead of Messi and Haaland by PSG Teammate

• Kylian Mbappe has been tipped by a PSG teammate to win this year's Ballon d'Or
• Lionel Messi is currently the front-runner to bag a record-extending eighth award
• Mbappe's teammate believes he has a chance to surprise the Argentine superstar

Kylian Mbappe deserves to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or prize ahead of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, according to Paris Saint-Germain defender, Achraf Hakimi.

While France fell short in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, Mbappe emerged as the tournament's top scorer. Additionally, during the 2022/23 season, he impressively netted 41 goals for PSG.

As a result of these accomplishments, Hakimi believes his teammate's outstanding performances in the year under review make him a strong contender to secure a place on the podium for the Ballon d'Or award.

"Compared to what he did this last year, for me, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or. He's a great player, and I hope he can win it this year," Hakimi told beIN Sports France as quoted by GOAL.

A list of Champions League winners who also won the Ballon d’Or

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However, the Frenchman, who suffered an injury in PSG's crunch Ligue 1 tie with Olympique Marseille on Sunday, will face formidable competition from Messi and Haaland, who are considered frontrunners for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.

The Argentine achieved the distinction of being the first player in MLS history to receive a Ballon d'Or nomination.

Messi's victory in the World Cup in Qatar last year provides him with a slight edge over the prolific Manchester City goal-scorer, per Eurosport.

Haaland tallied 56 goals in his debut season with the English giants, contributing to the club's historic treble.

PSG chief backs Mbappe to win Ballon d'Or

In related news, Sports Brief reported on PSG president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi backing Mbappe for the Ballon d'Or when the winner is announced this October.

The French captain is among the 30 nominees for the prestigious individual award, alongside City treble-winner, Haaland and FIFA World Cup winner, Messi.

PSG chief, Al-Khelaifi firmly believes Mbappe is currently the world's best player and sees no more deserving candidate to claim the Ballon d'Or this year.