Mbappé, Griezmann… The 2018 Ballon d’Or generated great tension

In 2018, the France team won the World Cup, the second in its history. While this trophy could have allowed the victory of a Habs at the Ballon d’Or, it was ultimately Luka Modric who was crowned that year. A huge disappointment for many French internationals and this edition of the Ballon d’Or would then have been the source of some big stories internally.

It will therefore have been necessary to wait 24 years to see a Frenchman being crowned again Ballon d’Or. In 2022, it is Karim Benzema who won this trophy, thus succeeding Zinedine Zidane, winner in 1998. Yet, it could have happened sooner. In 2018, following the victory of the Blues in world Cupwe imagined a protege of Didier Deschamps win this Ballon d’Or. Antoine Griezmann will finally have finished 3rd, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modricwinner.

French team: Big discomfort with Benzema, the stars of Deschamps demanded his departure https://t.co/DBAJabDjHv pic.twitter.com/216s47ssHW

— 24hfootnews (@24hfootnews) December 23, 2022

Griezmann ready to stop everything

The French were therefore disillusioned during this Ballon d’Or 2018, enough to visibly tense up more than one. Starting in particular with Antoine Griezmannwho could believe him who had also won the Europa League that year with theAtletico de Madrid. This is how the 2018 world champion would have had trouble digesting this failure and in particular the lack of support from the FFF, which had refused to take a stand when Raphael Varane, N’Golo Kante or Kylian Mbappe were also in the race. Griezmann would then have led a reflection, which would have led him to consider stopping theFrench team. Ultimately, Didier Deschamps managed to convince the player of theAtletico de Madrid to continue.

Mbappé resents Griezmann

During this Ballon d’Or 2018, Kylian Mbappe finished just off the podium, 4th. But now, according to various echoes, the player of the PSG would feel that he could have been sacred instead of Luka Modric this year. And he would particularly like Antoine Griezmann. Indeed, in the eyes of Mbappehe could have won the Ballon d’Or if his compatriot had let him take the penalties during the world Cup, which would then have allowed him to improve his statistics and earn valuable points in the eyes of the voters. It didn’t turn out that way…