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The Ballon d'Or is one of the most prestigious trophies awarded to a footballer for outstanding individual performances for club and country over the previous year. The trophy has fallen in love with two footballers namely Messi and Ronaldo and has rested in their cabinets for 5 years each during the last decade.
However, as both of them are now in their thirties and arguably losing the spark which shone in them for so long, the trophy can now move to newer and younger hands.
Here is a list of 5 potential future Ballon d'Or winners:
5. Kevin De Bruyne
The Manchester City midfielder was instrumental in his side's dominance in the Premier League last season as they finished the season with a record 100 points. His 12 goals and 21 assists last season do not reflect the complete influence he had on the pitch. His 16 assists in the Premier League resulted in him winning the inaugural Premier League Playmaker of the Season award.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he guided Belgium to a third-place finish. He has the most number of assists by any player in Europe’s top five leagues since the time he joined Werder Bremen in August 2012. Only Dimitri Payet created more chances than De Bruyne in Europe last season. The Belgian playmaker has been a consistent performer for City for the last three years. He was no doubt the jewel in the crown for the Premier League Champions last season. Maybe a Champions League trophy for his club will increase his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.
4. Harry Kane
To Tottenham and England fans, Harry Kane is nothing less than a hero. The 25-year-old scored an astonishing 41 goals for Spurs last season with 30 of them coming in the Premier League. In the last four seasons for Tottenham, Kane has scored an astonishing 135 goals in 187 appearances.
The boy from London also has an impressive 14 goals in his last 13 caps for England. Harry Kane has always shown great passion for the game. He has an unparalleled determination to be among the best and he has shown that by scoring goals for fun while working tirelessly throughout the matches he plays. His fans will hope to see their golden boy win the Ballon d'Or one day but with the competition in the footballing world, Harry Kane needs a hurricane of goals as well as trophies to fulfill their wish.
3. Mohamed Salah
Mo Salah didn't just win the Premier League Golden Boot last season, he won the hearts of millions of football fans around the world. The Liverpool team relied heavily on the Egyptian last season for goals and goals he gave them.
You know you are really good when people start comparing you with Lionel Messi. With a tally of 44 goals last season, Salah has shown that in football, pace and skill matter just as much as power and strength. For a winger, he has impressive numbers, especially in the last couple of years.
He has a decent 35 goals in 59 appearances for Egypt and a combined goals tally of 63 in 93 appearances for Roma and Liverpool in the last two seasons. With his season coming to an anti-climactic end as he was forced to be substituted in the Champions League Final due to a shoulder injury, the former Roma player will look to win trophies this season and his ardent fans will hope that one of them is a Ballon d'Or.
2. Kylian Mbappe
At the age of 19, Kylian Mbappe has won the FIFA World Cup as well as the FIFA Young Player award not to mention the two Ligue 1 trophies with Monaco and PSG. Last season, he managed 21 goals in 44 appearances for PSG and helped them in winning the domestic treble.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he became the youngest French player to score in the competition, eventually scoring 4 goals including a beauty in the final. Electrifying speed, a sharp eye for goal and lethal finishing make him one of the best footballing prospects right now. He still lacks a bit of experience but his more optimistic fans will argue that he has all that it takes to win the Ballon d'Or and they might just be right. When people start comparing you to Pele, you know you are special.
1. Neymar Jr.
The name Neymar needs no introduction in the world of football. The Brazilian has been seen as the potential successor of Messi and Ronaldo ever since he arrived on the scene. Even in his early days at Santos, Neymar showed that he can be the best in the world. He scored 136 goals for Santos in 223 appearances.
At Barcelona, he scored 105 goals in just 186 appearances and one of them was in a Champions League Final. In his first season at PSG, Neymar scored 28 goals in 30 appearances before his injury forced him out for the rest of the season. He already has 57 goals in 90 appearances for Brazil.
Given the number of goals Messi and Ronaldo manage in a season, Neymar is not far behind. In addition, his trophy cabinet has a treble from his first season at Barcelona, an Olympic gold medal and a dozen other trophies. He came the closest to winning the Ballon d'Or when he finished 3rd in 2015 as well as in 2017. It is only a matter of time before he lays his hands on the trophy.
