On September 22, according to Beijing time (CEST), Radio France Internationale (RFI) released the full interview with K. Mbappé. In the first part of the interview, he discussed his views on the Ballon d'Or award. Related link: [K. Mbappé: I have never disconnected from my African cultural heritage. I hope to bring the Ballon d'Or back to Africa]

On October 16, the Ballon d'Or will be awarded to the best player of the season. Is winning this trophy an obsession for you?

No, not at all. I think for every player, for every competitor, it is a goal, but not an obsession. I don't feel that way.

You are campaigning for the Ballon d'Or. Why do you think this year will be your year?

Because I've had an excellent year. My personal performance has been outstanding. I know this is the most important criterion for the Ballon d'Or. I've been the top scorer in every major tournament, so I feel I have a good chance this year. And I feel very good about myself.

However, it seems the competition this year will be more open than ever.

Yes, everyone says that. I don't know the complete history of the Ballon d'Or in depth, but many people say the competition this year is very tight. It's interesting to see this kind of competition and to be part of it. I think this also provides great entertainment for the viewers.

If you don't win this year, will you be disappointed?

Of course. No doubt about it. As I said, competitors are naturally disappointed when they don't win. If that happens, my competitive spirit will certainly be affected. But after that, we'll see how things develop.

We've seen you make bold public statements to campaign for votes, such as "I've always been chosen" or "No one was better than me last season." Are you aware that such statements might upset some people in France?

Yes, of course. I understand. But in France, many things upset some people, and I don't worry about that. I never expected everyone to agree with me, because it's impossible.

But I can't be someone else, and I won't try to be. I just want to be myself, with my strengths and weaknesses, my successes and failures. I just move forward one step at a time.

Let's continue discussing the Ballon d'Or race. Your personal performance at the World Cup was perfect, but your team's overall result was rather disappointing. How did you handle this experience?

I wouldn't describe it as "disappointing" when you don't win the championship. You inevitably feel sad. But I think we showed the world a good image of France. Our team played beautifully.

The French fans enjoyed it very much, and viewers around the world did too. But there is always only one champion. We tried our best, but this time we couldn't achieve our goal. We will set new goals in the future.

On a personal level, you have surpassed Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, and you still have one or two more World Cups ahead of you...

Hard to say (laughs). But there's no doubt that this achievement feels incredible. When you're in the midst of intense competition, you don't think much about these things. You focus on the next goal, the next match, the next objective.

But when I go on holiday, everyone talks to me about this—being the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. That's when you truly realize the significance of the World Cup. It's the greatest sporting event in the world and leaves a deep impression on people's hearts.

This statistic is a strong advantage for you in the competition for an individual award like the Ballon d'Or.

That's right. The envelope for the Ballon d'Or doesn't have a team name on it—it has a player's name. It's an individual award. I believe personal performance should come first. Of course, other aspects cannot be completely ignored, but outstanding and memorable individual performances are what truly impress voters for an individual award like this.

We also cannot overlook Deschamps. He has managed the French national team for 14 years, creating glorious history and achieving remarkable success...

No doubt about it!

...and now you have a new coach, Zinédine Zidane, and your first opponent is Turkey. Are you excited to rejoin the French national team with this new coaching staff?

Of course. First, credit must be given where it's due: everything Deschamps did for the French national team was excellent. He made history and brought the French national team back to where it should be. We will always appreciate that.

Now, a new chapter is about to begin with the new coach. We'll see how things develop. Every new beginning is like this—everything is new. We need to adapt and adjust. We will enter the competition and win again right away, which is what everyone expects from us.

Have you communicated with Zinédine Zidane since he took the position?

Not yet. I plan to meet him at the Clairefontaine training center. There's nothing better than a face-to-face conversation at the national team's base. Besides, we both live in Real Madrid and have run into each other several times. We already know each other. But I'm looking forward to going to Clairefontaine to understand his expectations for the entire team and for me personally, and then we'll see how things go from there.

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