Sergio Ramos believes Kylian Mbappe deserves to win the Ballon d’Or and backs Frenchman to win ‘four or five’

The nominees for the Ballon d’Or have yet to be announced, but that has not stopped mounting speculation over who will get the nod for the men’s prize.

Sergio Ramos has weighed in with his opinion and opted to highlight a former team-mate as a frontrunner.

Ramos spent two years alongside Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain, with the former then heading to Monterrey in Mexico while Mbappe moved to Ramos’ former club Real Madrid for the next stage of his career.

Despite a slow start, Mbappe had a strong season for the Spanish giants who fell just short in the competitions that mattered, with Barcelona scooping the league title and the Copa del Rey.

But despite all of that, Ramos still believes Mbappe deserves the Ballon d’Or honours, even though there are plenty of players who have arguably had better seasons.

“It’s a decisive trophy, but you never know what the criteria are for the Ballon d’Or. He scores goals, won the Golden Boot, even though Madrid hasn’t won other titles that other teams have won.

“These are individual awards, not collective ones, but there are some very interesting players who have won leagues and cups. It’s the little details that will make the difference, and in the end, it depends on one’s own opinion.”

If nominated, Mbappe will face stiff competition from the likes of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and PSG forward Ousmane Dembele.

Both players performed brilliantly throughout the Champions League campaign, with Dembele part of the Ligue 1 team that lifted the trophy.

But with Mbappe still at the start of his Real Madrid career, even if he falls just short this time, there will surely be other opportunities.

“If it were up to me, I think Kylian would have the peace of mind of taking home four or five Ballon d’Ors in five or 10 years,” Ramos added. 

“He has the talent, even if Madrid didn’t have a year full of titles, he had a great season and showed that he was a player of this level.”

Mbappe ended the season with 43 goals – 31 of them coming in La Liga, as he collected the European Golden Shoe for his goalscoring prowess.

Both Ramos and Mbappe are in their respective squads for the FIFA Club World Cup, with Ramos captaining Monterrey at the tournament. 

The nominations for the Ballon d’Or will be announced in August, with the ceremony set to take place on Monday, September 22, in Paris.