After his explosive displays at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe has been tipped to win football’s prestigious individual prize: the Ballon d’Or. While many believe talk of the teenager winning this award is premature, the PSG ace thinks he has a chance.
After winning the World Cup in Russia, the 19-year-old sat down with France Football for an interview in which he discussed an array of topics. One of them was the prize that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated for the last 10 years.
The lightning-quick attacker named five men who he believes are the favorites for this year’s accolade and he wasn’t afraid to include himself in that list. After selecting Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane; the former Monaco ace then said: "To complete, I think I would put myself too."
Surprisingly, Mbappe found no room for Messi, who is tied with Ronaldo for most wins – though the Portuguese icon looks destined to surpass him later this year. Despite a poor performance in Russia, winning the league and cup title will likely get Leo into the top five if not top three.
Two other men who have seen their odds sky-rocket after the World Cup, Modric and Varana, were also included in Mbappe’s list. One is a Croatian midfielder who guided his nation to an impressive runner-up finish in the summer tournament after getting his hands on a third straight Champions League title. The latter is the defender who was at the heart of Deschamps’ back-four while achieving the same as Luka on a club level.
As for Kylian, named Young Player of the Tournament at Russia 2018, he appears to be on his way to improving on his seventh-place finish from last year’s Ballon d’Or. As for who will win the prize, only time will reveal that answer.
