Ballon d’Or winner: Buffon snubs Ronaldo and Messi

18 ott 2018

It has been eleven years since a player last won the Ballon d’Or other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The prolonged period of dominance from these two superstars has given them a monopoly on football’s most prestigious individual award but, this year, things could be about to change. Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah seek to de-throne the old-guard and many think that one of those two, or perhaps PSG and France’s Kylian Mbappe, can make a change.

Speaking to Tout le Sport, former Juventus and Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon gave his thoughts on the award, as well as suggesting who he thinks should win the award this year:

“Mbappé is a phenomenon. If he continues to want to be the best, if he remains so enthusiastic and continues to behave normally, he can become great and remain a long time.

“In Italy he is compared to Baggio, Del Piero, Totti. But he has an exceptional talent and technical qualities that I have rarely seen in my career. Given his qualities, what he does in the field and what was decisive for the World Cup, he deserves to win it. I can not say the opposite.”

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