Dutch legend backs Real Madrid superstar to win the Ballon d’Or – “He’s by far the best player”

Dutch legend backs Real Madrid superstar to win the Ballon d’Or – “He’s by far the best player” While all eyes will be on the season’s first El Clasico tonight, fans across the globe are also looking forward to Monday evening’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. This year has witnessed the most hotly contested battle for the Ballon d’Or, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Rodri emerging as the four main contenders. While trends seem to favour Yamal and Kane, Mbappe’s claim has been stifled by the forward’s trophyless campaign last season and France’s failure in the World Cup. Van de Vaart backs Mbappe to win Van der Vaart believes Mbappe should win the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Despite that, Mbappe has found the backing from none other than Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart, a day before the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London. The former HSV superstar has proclaimed Mbappe as the best player in the world right now, despite the struggles of Real Madrid. Asked who he felt should walk away with the sport’s biggest individual honour, Van der Vaart did not hesitate in throwing his weight behind the Frenchman. “Kylian Mbappe. I think he’s by far the best player in the world right now, and he performs at an extremely high level in almost every match. Plus, he had a magnificent performance at the World Cup, so I think he deserves the award ,” he said (h/t Madrid Zone ). Only with an outside chance Mbappe remains an outsider in the battle for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The ringing endorsement comes at a crucial moment for Mbappe, who heads into the ceremony as something of an outsider despite his staggering individual output. The forward has been in sensational goalscoring form since arriving at the Bernabeu, and his numbers both for club and country have been nothing short of elite. Van der Vaart’s assessment that he operates at the very highest level in almost every single match is one few would dispute. The sticking point, however, remains the lack of silverware. Mbappe endured a trophyless campaign with Real Madrid last season, while France fell short at the World Cup, factors that have allowed the likes of Yamal and Kane to gather momentum in the race. Even though Real Madrid are confident , it will be disappointing to see Mbappe potentially missing out on the accolade. But it might just motivate the Frenchman to do more this season and more importantly, help Real Madrid achieve bigger things.