Kylian Mbappe misses out as Neymar names Real Madrid stars as his top three candidates to win the Ballon d'Or

France international Mbappe, who is Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer and will be joining Real Madrid as a free agent this summer, finished third in the Golden Ball vote for 2023 – behind Erling Haaland and eight-time winner Lionel Messi. That is a spot that Neymar has filled on two previous occasions, as he missed out to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The South American superstar is no longer in the running for the most prestigious of individual prizes. Neymar is now 32 years of age and endured a long road to recovery from knee ligament damage at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last season. He is, however, in a position to name the best players on the planet.

Neymar has been asked to do just that by Brazilian journalist Isabela Pagliari. Unsurprisingly, a man with more goals for his country than any other focused much of his attention on Real Madrid aces that savoured La Liga and Champions League glory in 2023-24. Neymar said: “Vinicius Junior is first, Rodrygo and [Jude] Bellingham are joint second.”

Neymar went on to say that “Mbappe enters the fray in third place”, but he has already filled the podium places. The 2024 Ballon d’Or will be handed out at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on October 28, with European Championship and Copa America title bids potentially determining who comes out on top.