Carlo Ancelotti Tips Real Madrid Star for Ballon d’Or Triumph, Edging out Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé will not add the UEFA Champions League trophy to enhance his candidacy for the Ballon d’Or this year. Paris Saint-Germain lost in the semifinals to Borussia Dortmund last Tuesday and missed out on reaching the final.

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. are two players who could challenge Mbappé for the highest individual award. The two Real Madrid stars can lift the Champions League trophy next month with a win over Dortmund.

Furthermore, if either or both players lift an international trophy this summer, they will likely be the odds-on favorite to win the Ballon d’Or later this year. Nonetheless, manager Carlo Ancelotti sees the Brazilian lifting the honor. 

“My feeling is that Vini Jr. is on the verge of winning the Ballon d’Or; what he is doing this season is really special,” Ancelotti said (h/t Le10Sport). “He is always present in key moments.”

Mbappé will need to win UEFA Euro 2024 this summer to bolster his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. The Euro trophy could be the major trophy on his resume if he doesn’t participate in the Summer Olympics to go along with any accomplishments in Ligue 1.