Manchester United star Paul Pogba has claimed that French national teammate N'Golo Kante 'deserves' to win the Ballon d'Or, believing that his Champions League-winning displays are worthy of the highest individual honour in football.
The Chelsea man was voted Man of the Match in both legs of the Blues' Champions League semi-finals and he was handed the same award following their 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the final.
And in an interview with Eurosport France's FC Stream Team podcast, national teammate Pogba backed Kante to be a deserving winner of the Ballon d'Or, but stressed that his performance levels have 'always been the same'.
“What I would like to say to the whole world is that the ‘NG’ we have seen in recent months has always been the same,” Pogba explained.
“We talk a lot about his performances but he has always been as good as ever.
“There was no Cristiano and Messi in the semi-final, so it's good to see the performances of the midfielders or even the defenders.
“I said a long time ago that it would be appropriate, if Chelsea won, for him to win the Ballon d'Or. It would be deserved too.
Pogba lined up alongside Kante in France's World Cup 2018 winning side, where the diminutive midfielder was once again instrumental in his nation's success.
The 30-year-old became a household name as part of the legendary Leicester City team which shocked the world by winning the Premier League in 2016, before moving to Chelsea in the following summer.
Kante won the Premier League for the second successive season in West London, claiming the league title in the 2016/17 campaign. He has continued to grow into one of the most complete box-to-box midfielders in world football, and his displays have rightly led to him being recognised as a superstar of the game.
Source : 90min