"It's a World Cup year, you know?" - Antoine Griezmann names his 2 favourites for the Ballon d'Or this season
Antoine Griezmann has named his favourite for the Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland being the widely regarded favorites to win the award this year.
Both Messi and Haaland have been named in the top 30 to win the prize this term. Griezmann, though, thinks that Messi and Kylian Mbappe are the two favourites to win the award.
He cited that the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place this year, and both Messi and Mbappe were superlative in the tournament. Elaborating on the same, Griezmann said (via Albiceleste Talk):
“Who should win the Ballon d'Or? Me. I should win, you forget I'm nominated too haha. If not me, then Messi or Mbappe. Haaland had a great season, but it's a World Cup year, you know?”
Lionel Messi has had a mediocre year with his club side Paris Saint-Germain, bagging 20 goals and 21 assists across competitions and winning the Ligue 1 title. The Argentine, though, played a starring role in his country's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar - bagging seven goals and three assists in seven games - and also won the Golden Ball.
What Daniel Riolo said about Antoine Griezmann's impact on France national team
Antoine Griezmann has been a key player for France over the last half decade or so. The Frenchman helped his country win the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and was a key part in the 2022 edition, too, where Les Bleus lost in the final on penalties.
Daniel Riolo has highlighted Antoine Griezmann's impact and went on to speak about how the Atletico Madrid star has been a key player for the team (via RMC Sport):
"Griezmann is almost good all the time. The matches where he is not good are rare. The French team is at the top with him. For me he has already surpassed Henry. If we remove an aesthetic symbolism, there is same with match with Zidane, but the aesthetic symbolism is important in football.
"We must not mix the Henry of Arsenal and the Henry of the Blues. Even in 2000, he is good, but I don't see how he stands out. In 2006, it was Zidane who made a splash. It's not so much Henry that you remember from this World Cup, but rather the Vieira-Makelele duo, the central defence, the Ribery revelation. ... And then Griezmann is adored in France. His time in blue is perfect in every way. Griezmann is underestimated."
Antoine Griezmann has made 122 appearances for France, scoring 43 goals and providing 36 assists across competitions. The 32-year-old is a mainstay in Didier Deschamps' team.