Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi had early made the claim that Mason Mount had the potential to be “one of the best” well before the Chelsea midfielder’s Ballon d’Or nomination this season.
Messi’s verdict on Mount is now an oracle come true after the Chelsea star recently received a Ballon d’Or nomination, with the 22-year-old having become one of the Blues’ key players under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel. Mount’s performances are now beginning to reap rewards for the star with him now being named in France Football’s 30-man shortlist for the most coveted Ballon d’Or awards.
Messi has the spectacular recipient of the award a record six times and ranks again as the favorite to pick it up this year, although the PSG megastar hinted at Mount being a contender well before the announcement when in March 2020, just as the global pandemic began, the most talented footballer ever said of the Chelsea midfielder: “Having watched him play he has the potential to be one of the best.”
When queried about his nomination ahead of England’s World Cup qualifying match against Hungary on Tuesday, Mount described the feat as “special.”
“I probably found out at exactly the same time as everyone else so to see that and be alongside those names, it is obviously a dream,” said Mount, who racked up the second-most key passes in the Premier League last season behind Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, explained.
“I think for all the years that you work hard, dedicate and then see something like that – it shows that it pays off and it’s just the start, it doesn’t stop now.”
Asked if he could even win the Ballon d’Or this year, the Blues star laughed: “I doubt it, but you never know.
“The most important thing for me is that I continue to keep trying to hit the levels that I have set before and go even further, that has always been my mentality and hopefully that continues.”
In April of this year, Tuchel labelled his No.19 “the full package” and stated that “there are no limits” on what Mount could achieve, having started him in almost every match of his Stamford Bridge tenure.
“He is incredibly talented and even more importantly, he has the personality at a very young age to keep his feet on the ground,” the German tactician told Sky Sports.