Brazil legend Kaka believes that Neymar has a chance of winning the 2020 Ballon d’Or.
Former Real Madrid and AC Milan playmaker Kaka is well versed in being named the world’s outstanding player, having received the honour himself 2007, the year he was also the recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Neymar, meanwhile, has never enjoyed such recognition, and while he maintains that winning individual prizes is not his priority, there is a sense that the world’s most expensive player would relish such an accolade.
And Kaka believes that it is possible that the 28-year-old could follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, who picked up his sixth Ballon d’Or earlier this year, taking him one clear of rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Do I believe that Neymar can win it in 2020? He is one of the best players in the world, there is no doubt about it. What he needs now is to win a team title and be one of the main protagonists of this achievement,” he said of his compatriot in an interview with AFP.
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Indeed, he even went as far to say that if PSG were to win the Champions League, Neymar “probably would win the Ballon d’Or”.
In terms of his own ambition, Kaka, who retired from the game in 2017 following a three-year stint in MLS with Orlando City, sees himself returning to professional football.
“I’m working to be a sporting director or a manager, that’s what I think will happen in the future,” he said. “But it won’t be today, because I still have many things to learn in many areas. Then I’ll see what opportunities are presented to me.”
He revealed that he is in close contact with PSG sporting director Leonardo, who he worked with during his time at San Siro.
“I talk a lot with him and he gives me a lot of good advice,” Kaka revealed.
During his playing career, the 37-year-old won a string of top team trophies, including the 2007 Champions League title, a tournament in which he finished as the leading marksman, helping the Rossoneri to a 2-1 win over Liverpool in Athens.