Marco Verratti backing Mbappe to win Ballon d'Or; praises Luis Enrique's PSG & more

Verratti currently plays for Al-Duhai.

Former Paris Saint-Germain player Marco Verratti had some things to say about his former teammate Kylian Mbappe and the club’s recent success.

Verratti spent most of his time in Europe playing for PSG, but the midfielder achieved relatively less success, winning only domestic titles with them.

He also played alongside some of the top stars such as Mbappe, Messi and Neymar, though still the club failed to perform in Europe, despite boasting such a talented squad.

During his 11 years in France, Verratti made 416 appearances for PSG, making him one of Europe’s most sought-after midfielders.

The Italian moved to Al-Duhai this summer after making a surprise 2023 transfer to Qatari team Al-Arabi, where he inked a contract through 2026.

The 32-year-old discussed the improvements in Paris that resulted in their first Champions League triumph last season with Gazzetta Italia, two years after his departure.

The argument that the French team’s success may be attributed to the exit of players like Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Mbappe was swiftly refuted by Verratti.

Verratti reject claims that PSG’s success was due to Mbappe, Messi and Neymar’s exit

“It’s not like that, the stars are there, he has them,” he explained.

“He created a great group, they think a lot about the collective, Luis Enrique was brilliant. They will win for years and years to come.”

Despite a rather difficult start to life in Madrid, the midfielder also had nothing but praise for former teammate Mbappe and expressed his expectation that the Frenchman will eventually win the Ballon d’Or.

Once Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left the spotlight, Mbappe appeared destined to win the prized accolade, but the 26-year-old has never quite clicked when it matters most.

Verratti backs Mbappe to win the coveted award

He claimed “With Mbappé: he’s hungry, he’s competitive, and I’m convinced that sooner or later he’ll win the Ballon d’Or.”

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