“At Mbappe’s age, Messi already had two Ballon d'Ors” – France Football chief explains what Haaland and Mbappe must do to emulate rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo

France Football chief Pascal Ferre has explained what Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland need to do in order to win the Ballon d'Or.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the most successful players in the history of the Ballon d'Or, with an unbelievable 12 triumphs between them. The Argentine tops the table as he has seven trophies in his cabinet, with the Portuguese following closely with five.

In addition to the accolade, the iconic duo have managed to win other major honors in the sport on multiple occasions for club and country. It is also worth noting that the two superstars have both scored way beyond 1000 goals between them.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have both proven to be world-class talents with their brilliant performances in recent years. Both the youngsters have been tipped by many to replace Messi and Ronaldo at the top of the game.

Despite boasting incredible numbers, neither Haaland nor Mbappe have come close to winning the Ballon d'Or award.

In an interview with EFE (via the Daily Star), Ferre, the director of France Football, the French Magazine that gives the award, explained what the duo need to do to win the accolade. He said:

"There is a lot of talk about the rivalry between Mbappe and Haaland, but neither of them have won the Champions League. At Mbappe's age, Messi already had two Ballon d'Ors. If they want to establish a similar rivalry, they have to start winning major trophies now. Messi and Ronaldo didn't take that long."

Ronaldo in, Messi out of 2022 Ballon d'Or race

The Frenchman is the leading candidate for the award this year.

The Argentine was omitted when France Football named their 30-man shortlist for the prestigious prize this year. Ronaldo, however, made it to the list even though he isn't considered among the strong candidates.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is the favorite to go home with the award this year after leading the Spanish giants to Champions League and La Liga triumphs last season. The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah are also in contention to win the honor.