Kylian Mbappé, the star striker of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), was voted best Ligue 1 player of the season for the third time on Sunday, May 15, during the presentation of the UNFP Trophies. It is the sixth time in a row that a PSG player has won the title, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2016), Edinson Cavani (2017), Neymar (2018) and Mbappé (2019, 2021). Due to the pandemic there were no trophies in 2020.
The Frenchman assured that he had ” nearly “ decided if he stayed in Paris or if he left, but he did not reveal his choice, after receiving his distinction. “Yes, yes almost”he replied when asked the question.
The suspense over whether he stays or leaves – in this case presumably to Real Madrid, “It’s almost over”added the player, whose contract with PSG expires in June.
Best scorer (twenty-five goals) and best distributor of balls on the front of the attack (seventeen assists) in Ligue 1, “Kyky” (23 years old) flew over the season and helped PSG to conquer its tenth title of champion of France, thus equaling the record of AS Saint-Etienne. Winner of the League of Nations with the France team, Mbappé failed in the Champions League, but he scored both goals for PSG against Real Madrid in the round of 16 (1-0/1-3) of the competition.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto top scorer
On the women’s side, it was PSG and France women’s team striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto who was voted best player of the season for the first time. Aged 23, the top scorer in Division 1 (eighteen goals) succeeds her teammate Kadidiatou Diani.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto was not on the TV set of the Pavillon Gabriel which hosted this Sunday the 30and edition of the UNFP Trophies, to receive her prize because she played and won the final of the Coupe de France in Dijon, against Yzeure (8-0), where she scored a hat-trick.
The PSG striker was eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Olympique Lyonnais (OL, 2-3/1-2); his team is also left behind by OL in the race for the title of champion.
With the France team (twenty-eight selections, twenty-four goals), she is one of the favorites for Euro 2022 which will take place in England. Trained at PSG, Marie-Antoinette Katoto was champion of France in 2021 and she won two French Cups (in 2018 and 2022).