Why Kylian Mbappe deserves a shout in the Ballon d'Or race
The prestigious Ballon d'Or award has become synonymous with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two giants of football have thoroughly dominated the scene over the last decade; it was way back in 2007 that either of the duo wasn't lifting the coveted golden trophy at the end of the ceremony.
This year, both Messi and Ronaldo are still firmly in the race for arguably world football's most prestigious individual prize. But another name has also been doing the rounds in the conversation - Kylian Mbappe, wonderkid, World Cup winner, most expensive teenage footballer and considered by experts to be a once-in-a-generation player.
PSG's Mbappe took the footballing world by storm in the 2016-17 season as he tormented opponents in the Champions League and won the French League with AS Monaco, all at just 17 years of age. Fast forward two years, and the French forward has won the World Cup and an array of domestic trophies with the club that paid 180 million euros for him.
2018 has been a fantastic year for Mbappe, and there are several reasons why he deserves at least a shout at the Ballon d'Or race.
Much-needed change
10 years of dominance by Ronaldo and Messi have adversely affected the reputation of the Ballon d'Or. There's a growing consensus among football fans that the trophy no longer commands the respect it had in history, and that the influence of social media on the selection process makes it ignore notable performances by players other than Messi and Ronaldo.
Whether this is a result of the phenomenal stats that Messi and Ronaldo boast every year is a different topic of discussion. But it would do the award a lot of good if it went to someone new, and why not Mbappe?
A phenomenal 2017-18 season
Mbappe finished the 2017-18 club season with 21 goals and 15 assists from 46 appearances. That is a phenomenal return for an 18-year-old. But little did football fans know that he would raise his game even higher at the FIFA World Cup.
Starting regularly in attack for France, Mbappe finished as the tournament's second highest goal scorer with four goals. He also bagged the Young Player Award as France emerged as the world champions.
It's difficult to imagine what Mbappe's 'prime years' will bring if his development phase is so impressive.
Messi and Ronaldo are still undoubtedly the kings of football. One of them is likely to walk away with the Ballon d'Or again, but they will both be nervously looking over their shoulders for Kylian Mbappe.
This may be a bold prediction, but Mbappe could very well be walking away with the Ballon d'Or plenty of times over the next decade. The trophy could do with a fresh lease of life, and who better to provide that than the wonderkid that is Kylian Mbappe.