Ronaldo, Messi still best but won’t win Ballon d’Or – Mbappe

Teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe told AFP on Thursday that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain football ’ s greatest players but that his own World Cup heroics could help crown him as the 2018 Ballon d ’ Or winner.

Mbappe, 19, helped France to World Cup victory in Russia as his four goals included one in the 4-2 final victory over Croatia as he became just the second teenager after Pele in 1958 to score in the championship match.

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He was also voted Young Player of the tournament and has since become Ligue 1’ s leading scorer with 11 goals as Paris Saint -Germain run away with the French championship .

Messi and Ronaldo have won the last 10 Ballon d’ Or awards and Mbappe believes that they are still the sport ’ s top A -listers .

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“ Nobody is doing better at the moment and we can’ t say it’ s the end of their era because it will only end when somebody else does better than them , ” Mbappe told AFP .

However, the young striker added : “ I don’ t think one of them will win the Ballon d’ Or this year because it was a World Cup year , and the World Cup takes precedence. ”

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While Mbappe thrived at the World Cup , Messi ’ s Argentina and Ronaldo ’ s Portugal bowed out in the last 16.

Mbappe was speaking at an event organised by watchmakers Hublot , one of his leading sponsors .

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