“I think that if I were coach of the Spanish team, I’d select Warren every time,” Luis Enrique began on Thursday ahead of PSG’s 11th Ligue 1 clash of the season. “But I’m not the French or Spanish coach, so I can’t give the opinion of the French coach. But everyone can see what’s going on.”

“I didn’t discover him, Christophe Galtier did. A player with that profile… I saw him play last year, I saw him play down the flank. I see him playing well everywhere, wherever you put him,” enthused the Spanish coach. “He is exemplary and incredible and I can only thank him for what he does and I thank PSG for providing us with players of this quality. Warren is an example for all players who want to be professionals.”

Zaïre-Emery’s inexorable rise has been a positive boost for PSG at the start of the season. The Montreuil-born midfielder has been a nailed-on starter for Les Parisiens, and is reportedly set to be called up for the first time to Didier Deschamps’ France national team. 

GFFN | George Boxall

The hamstring issue means that the former Porto man will miss several of PSG’s upcoming matches against Montpellier this weekend, followed by Milan in the UEFA Champions League next week, and the following Ligue 1 clash against Stade de Reims.

A potential return against AS Monaco on the 24th November could be on the cards, depending on the speed of Danilo’s recovery.

PSG will thus be a defender down when facing Montpellier on Friday evening (21:00 CET), but should be buoyed by the return of Marquinhos to the squad. Meanwhile, the communiqué confirms that Keylor Navas will be rested due to lower back pain against Montpellier, and that Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe are still following their respective recoveries from injury.

GFFN | George Boxall

Martinez mocked Mbappé in the wake of Argentina’s World Cup final victory. The Paris Saint-Germain forward netted past Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez on four occasions during the final (including once in the penalty shoot-out). Post-match, Martinez called for a minute’s silence for the now-France captain before immediately breaking that silence and leading the chants in the dressing room. He then posed with a doll of the Frenchman during the trophy celebrations back in Argentina. 

Martinez made an apology of sorts in February, stating that he “didn’t want to hurt anyone” and that it was just “a joke” with his teammates that should “never have left the dressing room.” 

However, the Yashin Trophy winner spoke much more highly of Mbappé in Paris. The PSG forward came third in this year’s edition of the Ballon d’Or, behind Erling Haaland and winner Lionel Messi, however, Martinez has backed Mbappé to win the prestigious prize “lots” of times in the coming years.

“It isn’t because of nothing that he is considered one of the best in the world. I have a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person. Kylian is an example to follow. He is phenomenal. Winning a World Cup, and scoring a hat-trick in the final in the following edition, all the French people should be proud of a player like him. When Leo (Messi) and (Cristiano) Ronaldo retire, Kylian will follow the same path as them. He will win a lot of Ballon d’Or,” said Martinez. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or during Monday night’s ceremony in Paris. It comes after a year in which he won the World Cup in Qatar, as well as the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentinian played a starring role in the World Cup final. However, Messi was outscored by Haaland, as well as PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé, who himself scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, but ended up on the losing side. Messi scored 38 goals in the 2022/23 season, 16 fewer than Mbappé and 18 fewer than Haaland, the winner of the Gerd Müller award. 

Messi “not even the best player at his club” – Rothen

Rothen was therefore highly critical of the decision to award Messi the prestigious trophy. “It’s shameful! Of course, it’s shameful! For me, Haaland should have won it. Between August 2022 and June 2023, what criteria lead us to believe that Messi is better than the rest? There is basically no criterion where he is the number one. If we speak about trophies, he is behind Haaland, even if he did win the World Cup. Haaland won everything with Manchester City and of course, you can’t compare based on the World Cup because Haaland is Norwegian,” said Rothen. 

He added, “Haaland beat all of the records […] even at PSG, Messi wasn’t above the rest. He wasn’t even the best player at the club. It’s problematic that the guy who gets the Ballon d’Or, who is supposed to be the best player in the world, wasn’t even the best player at his club. For three or four years, Messi has not been the best player in the world. We need to stop this madness. And in these four years, he has won two Ballon d’Ors. So, for me, it’s shameful. I can’t believe my eyes.”

Messi now plays his club football for Inter Miami after leaving PSG in the summer. After receiving his eighth award, he said that he believes it will be his last Ballon d’Or. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Messi beat Manchester City forward Erling Haaland and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé to the award. He won the World Cup with Argentina in December, whilst also winning the Ligue 1 title later in the season. Messi played an important role in helping Les Parisiens towards top spot, however, he left in relatively acrimonious circumstances. 

The former Barcelona forward was heavily criticised for making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, which saw him miss training. As a result, he was suspended without pay by the club. Messi, however, didn’t serve the full two-week suspension and returned in a match against AC Ajaccio at the Parc des Princes. His name was jeered at the start of the match. 

Messi on his time at PSG – “From a sporting perspective, it wasn’t what I had hoped for.”

Since his departure on a free transfer in the summer, Messi has not spoken glowingly of his former club, notably voicing frustration that his World Cup achievement was not sufficiently celebrated by PSG. As a result, he is “unsure” whether PSG fans would want him to present the trophy at the Parc des Princes. “I am not sure that (for the fans and himself) we would want to present the Ballon d’Or at the Parc,” said Messi in a press conference, transcribed by L’Équipe. 

He did nonetheless reveal that he enjoyed living in Paris. “I had to leave Paris for multiple reasons but I enjoyed it a lot. I have good friends here, I was very happy and my children liked the city. They wanted to stay in France. From a sporting perspective, it wasn’t what I had hoped for, but I keep the good parts and there are lots of them,” added the former PSG forward. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

No one has won the prestigious prize, awarded by France Football, as many times as the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (5) comes close. 

This year, Messi beat Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé to the prize. Ronaldo, however, wasn’t shortlisted. The Portuguese international now plays his club football with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, whilst Messi is now in the MLS with Inter Miami. 

“It was a great battle” – Messi on Ronaldo rivalry

Given that Messi and Ronaldo now play their football in different leagues on different continents, the former accepts that the “great battle” between the pair is now over. 

“It was a great battle on a sporting level,” began Messi in an interview with L’Équipe. “We fed off the mutual rivalry because we are both great competitors. He also wanted to win all the time. It was a very nice period for us both to live through and also for the people that love football. I think we really deserved to have reached and to have maintained at the top for so long. Because as I say, it is easy to get there. What is difficult is to stay there and we stayed at the top for 10, to 15 years. That is very difficult to do. It is spectacular to have done so. It will remain a great memory for all of those that have followed us.”

“I haven’t thought about the Ballon d’Or for a long time” – Messi

Whilst their rivalry may be over, the ‘greatest of all time’ debate will continue to rumble on. Didier Deschamps waded in on the debate on Monday night and said that it is difficult to say that Messi is better than Ronaldo or even Mbappé, who is yet to win the Ballon d’Or. With the emergence of a new generation, Messi believes that he has now won his final Ballon d’Or. 

“I haven’t thought about the Ballon d’Or for a long time. Winning the Ballon d’Or was never been a priority for me and even less so now after everything that I have accomplished in my career and compared to all of the other moments that I have experienced in my life. I think it is my last Ballon d’Or and I am happy to have achieved everything that I have achieved and to be the only player to have won eight Ballon d’Or,” said the Argentinian international, who last season added the final trophy, the World Cup, to his cabinet.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Messi was the strong favourite to win the Ballon d’Or having won the World Cup with Argentina back in December. It is the eighth, and likely final time, that he has won the prestigious accolade, awarded by France Football. No other player comes close to rivalling Messi in terms of Ballon d’Or wins. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won five, comes closest. The Portuguese international did not feature on the shortlist to win the prize this year. 

However, despite Messi’s achievements over the course of his career, Deschamps isn’t convinced that the former Paris Saint-Germain forward can be considered the greatest of all time. The France manager was present at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night and told Futbol Picante, “The Argentinians [say that Messi is the best of all time]. He is one of them, but is difficult to say that Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappé, who is younger.” 

Mbappé is yet to win the Ballon d’Or, but secured his highest ranking on Monday, finishing third behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and winner Messi.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Erling Haaland – Norway and Manchester City (23)

Erling Haaland’s incredible scoring record has catapulted him into the ranks of Ballon d’Or favorites. The Norwegian sensation is a goal-scoring machine, with an astonishing 56 goals for Manchester City / Norway and a ratio of 0.98 goals per match. The 23-year-old freakish goalscorer has also won the treble with City this season.

Kylian Mbappé – France and PSG (24)

After Karim Benzema picked up the award a year ago, has the Frenchman done enough to keep the award on home territory? The Bondy-born striker has been pivotal in France’s success, netting 54 goals this season for Les Bleus and PSG at a rate of 0.93 goals per match. Mbappé’s electrifying pace, dribbling ability, and his habit of performing on the grandest stages have placed him in contention. Not to mention that hat-trick in the World Cup final…

Harry Kane – England and Bayern Munich / Tottenham (30)

The England captain has switched club, but has had another consistant goalscoring year With 40 goals for The Three Lions and Tottenham / Bayern Munich. The former Premier League ace has a goal ratio of 0.67 per match. Kane is still aiming to become the first English player to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Lionel Messi – Argentina and Inter Miami / PSG (36)

Lionel Messi is a perennial Ballon d’Or candidate. The Argentine maestro, with 38 goals and a goal ratio of 0.7 per match, continues to provide the magic touch for his club (s) and country. The Argentine captain left PSG in the summer and has provided the star power for Inter Miami and David Beckham’s American dream with a Leagues Cup win. Let’s not forget he captained his country to an World Cup victory back in December 2022, against none other than Les Bleus in one of the most entertaining finals in recent times.

Robert Lewandowski – Poland and FC Barcelona (35)

Poland’s Robert Lewandowski is once again a Ballon d’Or contender. With 36 goals for Barcelona and Poland, and a goal ratio of 0.64 per match, the former Bayern Munich man still has his finishing touch, helping Barça win their first La Liga title since 2019.

GFFN | George Boxall

Tchouaméni couldn’t fully celebrate Los Blancos’ 2-1 Clasico victory on Saturday, secured by a late winner from Jude Bellingham. For the Frenchman, the fixture ended on a sour note, having suffered a metatarsal fracture. The La Liga side communicated on Tchouaméni’s injury on Sunday, confirming an incomplete stress fracture of the second metatarsal of the left foot. 

He is therefore set to be out for several weeks. The Real Madrid midfielder will therefore miss France’s next two matches (against Gibraltar on 18th November and against Greece on 21st November). His absence will be a blow for Didier Deschamps but it will ultimately be inconsequential with France having already secured qualification for Euro 2024. Tchouaméni has been a guaranteed starter for Les Bleus, especially since injuries to N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba. 

Warren Zaïre-Emery, who captained the France U21 side in the most recent international break, is set to therefore receive his first international call-up, according to L’Équipe. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Mbappé netted a brace at the Stade Francis Le Blé on Sunday as PSG narrowly beat a valiant Brest side. Les Parisiens looked to be sauntering towards victory. Warren Zaïre-Emery opened the scoring with a long-range effort before Mbappé doubled PSG’s advantage soon after. However, Steve Mounié then halved the deficit before Jérémy Le Douaron restored parity. 

The match looked to be heading towards a draw, however, PSG were awarded a late penalty. Despite missing the initial spot-kick, he netted the rebound. Mbappé then made an obscene hand gesture towards the Brest fans, who had accused close friend Achraf Hakimi of being a “rapist” throughout the encounter. The Moroccan international has been charged with rape and is under formal investigation. Hakimi denies the accusations. 

Mbappé received a yellow card for the gesture and continued to gesture to the home fans as he was replaced following his late goal. Mbappé was criticised by journalist Bertrand Latour, who took to X to say that “a France captain should never do that.” Mbappé responded, stating: “Oh, well of course I should have sang with them whilst they insulted my teammate. Some people have really never set foot on a pitch, no matter the level.” 

Hugo Magnetti accuses Mbappé of a ‘lack of class’

Speaking post-match, both sets of managers were critical of Mbappé. “I won’t name names, but I found the attitude of some Parisians ridiculous. You’ve won the match, you don’t need to add to that. When you’re away from home, you get heckled, and we have a healthy atmosphere here. There are plenty of stadiums where things could have generated,” said Brest manager Roy in an interview transcribed by L’Équipe. He added, “I was a bit surprised by his reaction because I found it ridiculous. He should be above all of that.”

Luis Enrique was also critical, adding, “I don’t like these kinds of things. It’s better to try and enjoy the moment. One must try and give off a positive energy.”

Mbappé’s gesture also didn’t sit well with Brest midfielder Hugo Magnetti, who accused the France captain of having a “lack of class.”

“It’s a bit of lack of class on Mbappé’s part to tease the stadium. It’s not like anyone died, but these are little things that annoy you. I’ll tell him that he shouldn’t have done that. I hope they’ll have the courage to do that against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich,” said Magnetti. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle