"It's a World Cup year, you know?" - Antoine Griezmann names his 2 favourites for the Ballon d'Or this season

Antoine Griezmann has named his favourite for the Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland being the widely regarded favorites to win the award this year.

Both Messi and Haaland have been named in the top 30 to win the prize this term. Griezmann, though, thinks that Messi and Kylian Mbappe are the two favourites to win the award. 

He cited that the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place this year, and both Messi and Mbappe were superlative in the tournament. Elaborating on the same, Griezmann said (via Albiceleste Talk):

“Who should win the Ballon d'Or? Me. I should win, you forget I'm nominated too haha. If not me, then Messi or Mbappe. Haaland had a great season, but it's a World Cup year, you know?”

Lionel Messi has had a mediocre year with his club side Paris Saint-Germain, bagging 20 goals and 21 assists across competitions and winning the Ligue 1 title. 

The Argentine, though, played a starring role in his country's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar - bagging seven goals and three assists in seven games - and also won the Golden Ball.

Antoine Griezmann has been a key player for France over the last half decade or so. The Frenchman helped his country win the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and was a key part in the 2022 edition, too, where Les Bleus lost in the final on penalties.