Kylian Mbappe has said he wants to star for France at the Olympics but dismissed talk that he is among the favourites for the Ballon d’Or.
Mbappe, 19, was in his home town of Bondy on Wednesday, celebrating his role in France’s World Cup win.
He told RMC Sport he wanted to emulate PSG teammates Neymar and Marquinhos, who won gold medals with Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“I still have a lot of things to do,” he said. “I want to accomplish everything.
“With France, I still have the European Championship to win. I would also, why not, like to compete in the Olympics. Then, with PSG, we all know what [the Champions League] is missing there.”
Mbappe is among those tipped for the Ballon d’Or and is also in contention to win the Kopa Award for the best under-21 player.
He said: “Ballon d’Or talk is unwelcome here. We can talk about that at a later date.”
However, teammate Gianluigi Buffon talked up Mbappe’s chances in an interview with France 3.
“Considering his qualities, what he has shown on the pitch and during the World Cup, yes — Kylian deserves the Ballon d’Or,” Buffon said. “I cannot argue against that.
“In Italy, Kylian is compared with the likes of Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti. He has exceptional talents and technical qualities that I have rarely seen before.
“Kylian is a phenomenon. If he continues to want to be the best and remains enthusiastic and grounded, he can last for a very long time.”
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