FIFA World Cup 2022: Mikael Silvestre predicts PSG superstar to win the Golden Ball and also predicts the Golden Boot winner for the WC

Mikael Silvestre has named Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar to win the Golden Ball in the FIFA World Cup 2022 and has picked Real Madrid ace Karim Benzema to win the Golden Boot award.

In a recent chat with Betting Expert, he spoke about the potential top scorer award winner of the tournament:

"I am tempted to say Benzema. It will depend obviously on how France perform. Yeah, I am going for Benzema."

He further named PSG superstar Neymar as his pick for the best player of the tournament or the Golden Ball winner:

"Maybe Neymar or Mbappe. One of the PSG players, or Messi (laughs). Definitely one of the PSG players. I am going for Neymar as MVP and then the Golden Boot for Karim Benzema."

Silvestre further spoke about his expectations from France for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as he said:

"Pogba, Kante and Kimpembe are out. That’s three starters from the final in 2018 and in positions that we are not really strong. We don’t have an established backup or a plan B in those positions. Rabiot is just having the best season of his four years at Juventus. Tchouameni was very good in Ligue 1 but still not many caps."

He continued:

"We have some questions in terms of where the team is at. Also, qualification wasn’t great. So, I’m not as confident as a year ago maybe, a year or two ago, due to the lack of form and key players missing."

He added:

"But we know we have great quality, especially at the front with Benzema, Dembele, Coman, Griezmann, Giroud, Mbappe. The way we approach tournaments like this with Didier Deschamps, we know we are quite defensive. I believe now we might be struggling defensively so we will see. It’s tragic because we don’t have games to prepare and have an idea of what’s coming and how we are going to perform. It’s strange but I guess it’s the same for everyone."

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Mikael Silvestre named France's weakness and named PSG superstar in his ideal starting XI for the FIFA World Cup 2022

Didier Deschamps

When quizzed whether France's midfield and defense are weak for the FIFA World Cup 2022, Silvestre said:

"I wouldn’t say they are weak. I would say they lack experience as a unit, as a line. They lack experience at that level. That is why there is a question mark. You wouldn’t say it is weak. It is just we are going into unknown territory, and that is why it is hard to make a prediction on how we are going to be performing and evolving into the tournament."

He went on to name PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe in his ideal France starting XI for the FIFA World Cup 2022:

"Lloris, Pavard at right back, Saliba and Varane in the middle, with Hernandez Left-back. Tchouameni, Rabiot, Griezmann as a number 10. And then Dembele, Benzema, Mbappe up front."