Mbappe backs Messi to win Ballon d'Or

Paris, Nov 25 (IANS) PSG and France striker Kylian Mbappe said that Argentine great Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the 2019 Ballon d'Or. The 32-year-old Messi helped Barcelona to the Spanish league title in 2018/19, scoring 51 goals across all competitions.

Messi is thus one of the front runners for the coveted title, which he has won five times, four of which came on the trot from 2009 to 2012. It is the joint most number of times that a player has won the title -- a record he holds with long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

When asked about who he thinks is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or, Mbappe, who himself is a contender, told German magazine Der Spiegel, "Messi. In individual terms, he was the best this year."

The 20-year-old is widely touted as one of the players who is a potential future winner of the Ballon d'Or. He finished sixth at the The Best FIFA Awards earlier this year, which Messi won.