Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker Kylian Mbappe won the French league’s best player award for the third time in his career at the 30th UNFP awards ceremony on May 15.
The world champion has been voted the league’s best player again for the 2021-2022 season.
"I am very happy, I thank the whole club, my teammates, everyone who works in the club, the staff and of course the President. He helped me a lot in contributing to this third title in a row. It is important to leave an impression".
Mbappe is out of contract at PSG next month and touted to join Karim Benzema at Real Madrid in what would be a formidable attack force.
Mbappe is the league’s top scorer with 25 goals for the French champion and has netted 36 in all competitions. The awards are given annually by the National Union of Professional Football Players (UNFP) to players in France’s top two divisions. The 23-year-old France star won the award last year – when Mbappe netted a career-high 42 goals overall – and in 2019. “It’s always an honor to be here. Winning for a third time in a row is incredible,” Mbappe said. “I’ve felt the recognition this season more than ever.”
PSG led 2-0 on aggregate thanks to Mbappe’s goals, but then allowed three goals in under 20 minutes as Benzema tore the defense apart with a brilliant hat trick. Mbappe’s partnership with Benzema has blossomed since Benzema’s return to the national side after seven years out and they both scored heavily in the past year for Les Bleus. Benzema struck a magnificent goal in the Nations League final against Spain and Mbappe scored the winner.
Mbappe has scored 168 goals for PSG since joining from Monaco in a deal worth 180 million euros ($187 million) five years ago, the second highest tally in the club’s history behind former teammate Edinson Cavani with 200 goals.
“I want to keep improving,” Mbappe said, laughing when the on-stage interviewer asked if he thought he could overtake Cavani at PSG, which would obviously mean staying there.
“I’m already very happy to be in the top three,” said Mbappe, who overtook Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s PSG tally of 156 goals.
