Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has backed Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé to finally claim the Ballon d’Or, insisting that the French forward’s moment has arrived.

According to Carragher, Mbappé’s outstanding performances for both club and country place him firmly at the front of the race for football’s most prestigious individual award, which will be presented next September.

The 27-year-old World Cup winner has been in devastating form since joining Real Madrid. Mbappé has already scored 29 goals and provided five assists in just 24 appearances across all competitions. His impact has been particularly emphatic in LaLiga, where he leads the scoring charts with 18 goals, while also topping the UEFA Champions League scoring list with nine goals.

On the international stage, Mbappé has continued to lead by example, helping Didier Deschamps’ France secure qualification for the next World Cup with five goals and three assists.

Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher believes the timing and circumstances could finally work in Mbappé’s favour.

“In a World Cup year, the Ballon d’Or is always won by the star player of the victorious country. As France are my prediction to win in the United States, this could be Kylian Mbappé’s year,” Carragher said.

“He was third, behind Lionel Messi and Haaland, after France were beaten in the last World Cup.”

Opinion: Mbappé has long been viewed as a future Ballon d’Or winner, but the award has so far eluded him due to extraordinary competition from the likes of Messi and Haaland. Now, at the peak of his powers and wearing the famous white of Real Madrid, the stage appears perfectly set. If France deliver on their World Cup promise and Mbappé continues his current scoring rhythm, it would be difficult to argue against his claim. For many fans, it may no longer be a question of if Mbappé will win the Ballon d’Or—but when.