Kylian Mbappe gives verdict on Lionel Messi's Ballon d’Or battle vs Man City star Erling Haaland

Kylian Mbappe has admitted that Lionel Messi deserved to beat himself and Erling Haaland to the 2023 Ballon d'Or after winning the World Cup with Argentina.

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star Messi was crowned the world's best player for an eighth time at the end of October, following yet another incredible 12 months. The 36-year-old rolled back the years to help his Argentina side win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, at times single-handedly winning games.

Despite scoring a hat-trick in the final, France forward Mbappe finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings behind Messi and Haaland. The Manchester City frontman could have felt aggrieved not to have taken the crown, having scored 52 goals as his side won a historic treble.

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But Mbappe, who spent last season playing alongside Messi at PSG, insists that his former teammate deserved to strengthen his claim as the greatest footballer ever after lifting the world's most prestigious trophy in Qatar.

“I am not scared that it [the award] has escaped me," Mbappe told reporters (via Get French Football News). "Messi deserves it.

"In the evening of the 18th [December 2022], I knew he’d won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or. I had a great season, like Haaland, but when you win the World Cup, that makes the difference.”

This is expected to be Messi's final year as the world's greatest, with the forward now plying his trade in the MLS with Inter Miami. Mbappe and Haaland have long been tipped to take the mantle from the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and the pair will likely fight it out for top spot over the next 12 months.

They will