Kylian Mbappé has been honored as the Best French Player of the 2023/24 season, securing the prestigious accolade with a total of 56 points. This victory places him ahead of Arsenal's William Saliba, who finished in second place with 51 points.
This achievement marks the fourth time that Mbappé has received this esteemed award, further solidifying his status as a dominant force in French football. He outperformed other notable contenders in the top five, including AC Milan's Mike Maignan, who garnered 24 points, Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga with 17 points, and his teammate Aurelien Tchouaméni, who finished with 16 points.
Mbappé's recognition underscores his exceptional performances this season, both for Real Madrid and the French national team. The voting process was conducted by France Football, which highlighted the players' contributions throughout the season. Noteworthy mentions in the voting included Atlético Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann and Brest’s Pierre Lees-Melou, both of whom received 15 points.
At just 25 years old, Mbappé continues to impress on the international stage. Recently, he was also awarded the best player in Ligue 1 at the UNFP Trophies gala, marking his fifth consecutive win in this category, following a remarkable season where he scored 44 goals across all competitions while playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
In a significant announcement, Mbappé confirmed his intention to leave PSG at the end of the current season when his contract expires, with Real Madrid being widely speculated as his next destination. Reflecting on this transition, he stated, “It is a page that is turning, a chapter of my life that is going to close.”
The award ceremony took place just before Mbappé's first interview in eleven months, where he expressed to L'Équipe that while he was honored to win, he believed Saliba deserved recognition as well, given the close points margin.
Voting Insights
Interestingly, during the voting process, Karim Benzema did not allocate any points to Mbappé, as he opted to support Camavinga, Barcola, and Zaïre-Emery. Similarly, N'Golo Kanté chose not to vote for Mbappé, favoring Saliba, Koundé, and Camavinga. Griezmann, however, recognized Mbappé as the second-best player of the season, placing Alexandre Lacazette first and Del Castillo from Brest third.
In his final home game for PSG, Mbappé scored a goal, despite the team's surprising 3-1 loss to Toulouse. That goal brought his Ligue 1 tally to 27 for the season, putting him eight goals ahead of the next top scorer, Jonathan David of Lille.
With two more Ligue 1 matches left in the season, followed by the French Cup final against Lyon on May 25, Mbappé's season is far from over.
The award for Best French Player, voted on by his peers and presented by former Olympic champion Marie-José Pérec, reflects Mbappé's significant impact in the league. His PSG teammate Ousmane Dembélé, along with Pierre Lees-Melou, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Edon Zhegrova, were also contenders for the award. As a four-time recipient, Mbappé previously won this honor in 2018, the year he celebrated a World Cup victory, as well as in 2019, 2023, and now in 2024. In his voting choices, he selected Saliba as his top pick, Camavinga as his second choice, and Tchouaméni, who placed fifth, as his third.
 Zainab Y.
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