Kylian Mbappé is not accepting the failure label, and he is not pretending he does not want the Ballon d’Or.

“It was an amazing experience for us because I think we gave pleasure to fans all around the world, but we didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve. But I cannot say it’s a failure,” the France captain told CNN Sports in an interview published on 22 September.

The number he keeps returning to is 22. That is where his career World Cup tally sat after France’s chaotic 6-4 defeat to England in the Miami third-place playoff on 18 July, a match in which he scored twice to overtake Lionel Messi and install himself as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Messi had only broken Miroslav Klose’s men’s record of 16 earlier in the same World Cup.

France had reached that playoff after losing 0-2 to Spain in the semi-finals, a defeat that ended their hopes of a third final in a row.

Read also: Kevin Durant breaks silence on retirement ahead of 20th NBA season

The Messi record fell in Miami

Mbappé, still short of turning 28, framed the record less as a career milestone than as a piece of paperwork he did not expect to be able to file so soon.

“It’s something that I couldn’t imagine … to be able to be this guy at only 27, it sounds surreal,” he told CNN.

He has never won the Ballon d’Or. Asked whether that absence was a source of frustration, he pushed back.

“A frustration? No. Because, as a competitor, you always want to win everything.”

Read also: Rooney breaks silence on weight loss drug claims

The next sentence is the one that will travel.

“Every player wants to win it, but we have to wait. This could be a good year for me.”

Mbappé is on the 30-man shortlist France Football and UEFA published on 8 September, alongside Erling Haaland, Rodri, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham. The ceremony is at the London Palladium on 26 October, the first time in the award’s 70-year history it will be handed out in England.

Zidane era begins on Friday

The interview landed in the week Zinedine Zidane took charge of his own France team for the first time. Zidane was appointed in July to succeed Didier Deschamps after 14 years, and Mbappé remains his captain.

Read also: Mourinho sends clear Vinícius Jr message as Real Madrid role changes

“Another era starting in the national team, we are really happy to have him,” Mbappé told CNN of Zidane.

Zidane’s first squad list, unveiled on 18 September, kept the World Cup spine and added five newcomers, among them Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes and Bologna midfielder Lucas Da Cunha.

France travel to Kocaeli in Turkey on Friday for that first competitive test, a UEFA Nations League fixture, with Mbappé expected to lead the side out after shaking off flu symptoms earlier in the week. The Ballon d’Or vote is announced in London five weeks later.

Read also: Rogers had Ronaldo at the top of his list. Ninety minutes with Messi rearranged it

Read also: Flavio Briatore threatens drastic Colapinto move after F1 abuse row