Ballon d’Or 2018: Mbappe explains why Messi, Ronaldo can’t win award, names deserving players

Paris Saints-Germain star, Kylian Mbappe has named himself and fellow
France teammates: Antoine Griezmann, Raphaël Varane and N'Golo Kante,
as players that deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or award ahead of
Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Recall that Mbappe, Griezmann, Varane and Kante were shortlisted for
the 2018 Ballon d'Or award last month.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the award in the past decade.

The pair had won an incredible five awards each, with Ronaldo equaling
Messi's tally last year.

But Mbappe believes that Messi and Ronaldo would not win the Europe
topflight individual prize this year because it was the World Cup
year.

"Nobody is doing better at the moment and we can't say it's the end of
(Ronaldo or Messi) their era because it will only end when somebody
else does better than them," Express UK quoted Mbappe as saying.

"I don't think one of them will win the Ballon d'Or this year because
it was a World Cup year, and the World Cup takes precedence.

"But if you take the player in the purest form, there's nobody better
yet. This year they were again the best two.

"Messi finished the best goalscorer in Europe; Ronaldo was the top
scorer in the Champions League."

Mbappe added: "Frankly, I hope so to win the Ballon d'Or. We achieved
something big.

"It would not be unjust because that is a strong word, but it would be
a shame if a Frenchman does not win it.

"We made history and it would be nice to be rewarded," he said.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or award will take place on 3rd December, 2018.