Mbappé: Dembélé told me Messi is watching

Taking advantage of Neymar's minor appearances during the season, his team-mate tried his hardest to win the trophy for best player in the world. However, he had a lot of competition ahead of him and his stunning season was not enough to win him the top spot.

"I wanted to go for that trophy, but there was Messi. I scored two, he scored three, I scored three, he scored four... It was so incredible that I talked to Ousmane (Dembélé) about it: "It can't be: does he do it on purpose or what? Is he looking at the goals I score?" said Mbappe in an interview to France Football. 

His countryman's response was clear: "Of course he does. "I thought: 'Messi's watching me... It's flattering to have a player like him watching you." Dembélé's tip-off makes it clear that the Argentinian is keeping a close eye on his competitors.

In any case, he will enjoy a new opportunity in the next year. At 21, he has practically his entire career ahead of him, while Leo is already a consolidated star who does not have so many years of football left: it could be the Frenchman's chance.