Christophe Dugarry, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, has delivered a sharp rebuke of Kylian Mbappe after the Real Madrid striker spoke openly about his ambitions to win the Ballon d'Or this year.

Ahead of Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League opener against Inter Milan, Mbappe expressed confidence that the award could be within reach. "I think when you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, people associate you with this award," he said. "Of course this year could be good for me to win the Ballon d'Or. But journalists vote."

The France captain, who set a new all-time World Cup goals record during the summer, did not shy away from assessing his own standing. "I always think I'm the best [player in the world], but everyone has their own opinion," he added.

Dugarry, a 55-cap France international who was part of the squad that beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, took direct aim at those comments. "To publicly ask for an individual award like that, I find it childish and pathetic," Dugarry said, speaking via talkSPORT. "There's nothing great about asking for it, especially as captain of your national team."

Mbappe has yet to claim the Ballon d'Or. His best finish came in 2023, when he placed third behind Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi — who extended his own record by lifting the trophy for an eighth time.

The most recent edition of the award went to Mbappe's France teammate Ousmane Dembele, making Dembele France's sixth Ballon d'Or winner in history.