The presentation of the Ballon d’Or award will occur on Monday and the favorite appears to be Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. However, the Brazilian isn’t a runaway favorite, so other players have different opinions on who should win the award.
Kylian Mbappé could have been the favorite if he had led PSG to the UEFA Champions League title and France to a UEFA Euro 2024 trophy. However, the 25-year-old fell in the semifinals in both competitions.
As a result, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner doesn’t have the international cache at the club and national team level to boost his candidacy.
Nonetheless, Arsenal’s William Saliba and Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku told Téléfoot (h/t Le10Sport) that Mbappé should be the favorite to win the award.
“My favorite for the Ballon d’Or? Kylian (Mbappé),” Saliba said. Meanwhile, Nkunku explained why his former teammate should win the award noting that, “As Frenchmen, we’re going to back Kylian (Mbappé).”
These remarks could be uplifting for the former PSG standout, who’s had a rough weekend. Mbappé was called offside eight times in El Clásico, the most by any player in a single LaLiga game in the last 10 seasons. Moreover, Real Madrid fell 4-0 to FC Barcelona to worsen the night.
