France boss picks his preferred Ballon d’OR nominees

France boss Didier Deschamps has picked four of Les Blues players who he feels they should be in the list of Ballon d’Or contenders.

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, Paris Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane are the players Deschamps thinks should be in the running for Ballon d’Or.  The French international led his side to glory in Russia 2018, beating Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow.

Youngster Mbappe claimed the tournament’s best young player award following that success after he netted four World Cup goals, including a peach in Sunday’s final.

Griezmann, who won the Europa League with Atleti matched that tally while Pogba and Varane – a Champions League winner with Real Madrid – produced commanding performances throughout the knockout rounds. Deschamps insisted a France star should be in contention for the Ballon d’Or, breaking a 10-year run of dominance from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but would not name his favourite for the prize.

“He’s a potential candidate for the Ballon d’Or, yes, he deserves it. It’s not just him, but he deserves it. The Ballon d’Or, that would be a very good thing. We’ve seen so many times, there are two who are still there… Come on, even three, you have Messi, Ronaldo with everything they represent in the world and what they do. Neymar too, even if he arrives behind,” Deschamps told L’Equipe of Griezmann.

“Does Raphael Varane deserve it? Of course he deserves it. Will it be him? A defender, yes, but in general it’s an attacker. I especially hope that it will be a French player due to the fact that it’s a World Cup year and they are world champions.

“Kylian, he’s only 19 years old, we’ll say he has time [to win the Ballon d’Or]. But there is also what he does. Being so important and effective at age 19, it is out of the ordinary.

“Paul, with the World Cup he’s had… Do not ask me who I prefer.”

Griezmann was third in the 2016 Ballon d’Or, with Kaka’s success in 2007 the last time Messi or Ronaldo did not claim the prize.

French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Atlético Madrid and the French national team.

Griezmann was raised in Mâcon, Griezmann began his senior career as a member of Spanish side Real Sociedad in 2009, with whom he won the Segunda División title in his first season. He departed five seasons later to join Atlético Madrid for a then-club record €30 million. Although featuring mostly as a winger during his time with Sociedad, Griezmann adapted his game in Madrid to become a complete forward, and quickly became the focal point of the team. He would go on to break the club’s scoring record for a debut season, and was named in the 2014–15 La Liga Team of the Season. He was also named La Liga Best Player in 2016, nominated for both the 2016 Best FIFA Men’s Player and 2016 Ballon d’Or awards, and won the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League.

Griezmann is a former French youth international, representing his country at under-19, under-20and under-21 level, and was part of the team that won the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship on home soil. He earned his first cap for the senior national team in 2014, and played at that year’s World Cup, helping his country to the quarter-finals. At UEFA Euro 2016, France finished runners-up as hosts, while Griezmann was the top goalscorer and was voted the Player of the Tournament. He later won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which he scored four goals, won the Bronze Ball as the third best player, and was named man of the match in the final.

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