“I don’t think the Club World Cup will have an impact (on the Ballon d’Or),” he said.
“There are several players who deserve the trophy based on their season.
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Watch the incredible movement of Vitinha for PSG third
Video credit: TNT Sports
“My opinion is irrelevant. The person voting is the one who decides. But I like players like Lamine (Yamal), Vitinha, who has won everything this season, Ousmane Dembele, who has done very well too…
“It depends on whether you’re looking at individual performance for the Ballon d’Or, or the titles you’ve won. It depends on personal taste and what you focus on when awarding this important award.”
When asked if Vitinha could be a credible dark horse for the award, Figo was certain.
“He’s on the list,” he said. “He has a chance of winning, but, as I said, it depends on who votes and, of course, what you focus on during the season.”
One man who Figo believes could be out of the running, however, is Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.
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‘I will be fine’ – Mbappe nonplussed if he doesn’t win Ballon d’Or
Video credit: TNT Sports
The striker finished his debut campaign in the Spanish capital as La Liga top scorer but failed to pick up any major silverware in a disappointing campaign where Real finished second to Barcelona and crashed out of the Champions League to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
“Things weren’t so great at first, but he’s done well since then. He’s scored a lot of goals and has adapted to playing for Real Madrid, which is totally different from playing for any other team,” Figo said of Mbappe.
“What could rule him out for individual trophies is his lack of major team titles, but we’ll see what happens. He’s a name that’s always on the lists of the best in the world, there’s no doubt about it.”
