Mbappe believes Neymar will win Ballon d'Or before him

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Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe believes he is still a long way off winning the Ballon d’Or but sees PSG teammate Neymar Jr lifting the honours very soon.

The 18-year-old earned a place on the 30-man shortlist for France Football’s prize following his exceptional season for Monaco in 2016-17, in which he helped them to win Ligue 1 and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the favourite to win the award for the second year in a row, although Barcelona star Lionel Messi and PSG’s world-record signing Neymar are expected to challenge closely, having finished second and third respectively behind the Portugal captain in the standings for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award this month.

Mbappe believes he can establish his place as a modern great if he can achieve success on the international stage with France, but he does not expect the Ballon d’Or to bear his name for some time.

“I still have a lot of steps to go towards the Ballon d’Or. I’m still learning,” he told Telefoot.

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