"He’s hungry. He’s competitive" - Ex-PSG star Marco Verratti believes one Real Madrid star will win the Ballon d'Or 'sooner or later'

Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Marco Verratti has backed Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d'Or someday. The Italian midfield maestro played alongside Mbappe at PSG for six seasons and enjoyed plenty of success together.

Verratti has hailed the French forward for his competitiveness and hunger, insisting that he will surely win the Ballon d'Or sooner or later. The former PSG star told Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport:

"Mbappe. He’s hungry. He’s competitive. I'm convinced that sooner or later he'll win the Ballon d'Or."

Kylian Mbappe was tipped to become a superstar from a young age and has certainly established himself as one of the best players in world football. However, he is yet to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or yet despite being labelled as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Frenchman joined Real Madrid last season on a free transfer after his deal with PSG expired. He scored 44 goals and provided five assists in 59 appearances for Los Blancos in his debut season, but failed to win a major trophy.

The Real Madrid superstar clinched both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe last season. However, he is not among the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or this season. Kylian Mbappe and Marco Verratti played 180 games together for PSG across six seasons, with 10 joint goal participations.

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Luka Modric opens up on Kylian Mbappe inheriting his number ten shirt at Real Madrid

Real Madrid legend Luka Modric has reacted to Kylian Mbappe inheriting his number ten shirt at the club. The France skipper has been given the number ten shirt by Los Blancos after Modric's departure from the club this summer.

Mbappe shared an image on Instagram donning his new number, to which Modric reacted with a fire emoji.

Modric etched his name in Real Madrid's history books during his 13-year stint at the club. He made 597 appearances for the club and won 28 trophies, making a name for himself as one of the best midfielders ever.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe only joined the Spanish giants last summer and enjoyed a solid debut season. He scored 44 goals and provided five assists in 59 games for Los Blancos, but could not help them win any major silverware.

Mbappe and Modric shared the pitch as teammates on 51 occasions and had three joint goal participations. The latter has joined AC Milan on a free transfer this summer after his contract expired at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee