Shortly after he was crowned French Player of the Year for the 2023/24 campaign last week, Kylian Mbappe insisted that Arsenal centre-back William Saliba would have been another worthy winner.
Mbappe collected the prestigious gong - the fourth of his career already - thanks to a prolific final season at Paris Saint-Germain. The France captain may not have produced his best form at Euro 2024, where a broken nose hampered his impact as Les Bleus made it to the semi-finals, but he did muster a continental high 44 goals last term.
The joint-winner of the Gerd Muller Trophy at this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony also made his way into the FIFPro World XI, an elite group voted for by more than 21,000 professional footballers.
The French Player of the Year is decided by former winners of the award. As a champion in 2018, 2019 and last season, Mbappe could have voted for himself but ranked Saliba above any of his other compatriots. Many voters agreed, with the Arsenal defender finishing with 51 points to his international teammate's 56.
"We have to be fair," Mbappe explained to France Football. "William Saliba, too, would have deserved this trophy."
William Saliba
William Saliba has been a rock at the back for Arsenal / Alex Pantling/GettyImages
The pair played together for France at Euro 2024 but have known one another since childhood.
Saliba joined his local side AS Bondy as a six-year-old and came under the tutelage of Wilfried Mbappe, Kylian's father. Saliba went to the same school as the future footballing sensation and was a regular at Mbappe's home. "He was a real coach!" Saliba has said of Mbappe Sr. "He taught me everything and if I am here today, it's thanks to him."
Mbappe wasn't the only Frenchman to consider himself fortunate to have won the award. Neither N'Golo Kante nor Karim Benzema included the Real Madrid forward in their three-man shortlist. Antoine Griezmann voted for Alexandre Lacazette, another with ties to north London, ahead of his fellow World Cup winner.
Final vote for 2023/24 French Player of the Year
Rank Player
1. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
2. William Saliba (Arsenal)
3. Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
4. Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
5. Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
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