Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Angel Di Maria has backed team-mate Kylian Mbappe to one day win the Ballon d’Or.
The World Cup winner is expected to be among the nominations for the award when they are unveiled by France Football on October 9, although the 19-year-old is not seen as one of the front runners for the prize.
However, Di Maria does not believe it will be long before the striker is being touted for such success.
“If he continues at this level, he can win it in any year,” he told TF1’s 'Telefoot' program. “We see in each of his matches the potential that he has – he exploits it every time, even if he is only 19.”
Meanwhile, the Argentine says that Neymar is now back to his best after an injury that saw his campaign ended prematurely and hampered his efforts at the World Cup.
“He’s the same as he was before his injury, driven by his great ambition,” he continued.
Di Maria might have been linked with a move away from PSG in the summer, but he has enjoyed increased game time since Thomas Tuchel arrived to coach the club and has been one of their outstanding performers of the season to date.
As such, he does not envisage a move away from Parc des Princes any time soon, despite a deal that expires at the end of June 2019.
“I am very happy here, so I can only wait to see what will happen,” he added.
“The coach immediately came to talk to me, he made me understand that he was counting on me, that I was important to the team. I think he has come to win the Champions League … and we have a good chance of winning because we have Neymar, Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. The best!
“The club knows what I want, we'll see. I'd like to continue here, but I have always said that I would like to finish my career in Argentina. I hope that my last club in Europe will be Paris.”
PSG will host Red Star Belgrade in Europe's premier club competition on Wednesday.