‘Outstanding’ N’Golo Kante outperformed his Chelsea team-mate Jorginho and should’ve won the Balon d’Or, claims former Blues midfielder Joe Cole
- Joe Cole believes N’Golo kante should have won the 2021 Balon d’Or award
- He claims the Frenchman outperformed everyone including team-mate Jorginho
- Lionel Messi won the big prize in December, with Jorginho third and Kante fifth
According to Joe Cole, Chelsea star N’Golo Kante was ‘overlooked’ for the 2021 Ballon D’Or despite his ‘outstanding’ performances.
Kante played an instrumental role in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last season after picking up the Man of The Match award in both sem-final games as well as the final.
Despite his performances, the Frenchman finished fifth in the race for the Balon d’Or, two places behind his team-mate Jorginho.
N’Golo Kante (centre) played a big role in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last season
But Cole believes Kante should have won the award altogether. Speaking to Coral, he said: ‘I’m going to go with a Chelsea player, having won the Champions League, and say N’Golo Kante. He was overlooked for the Ballon d’Or.
‘I’ve watched him week in, week out and his influence on the team is outstanding. He has missed large chunks of the season through injury and he has been missed. When he has played, he has been outstanding.
‘The run-up to the Champions League last season, from the quarter-finals onwards, six out of seven games, including the final, he was the Man of the Match.
‘Our eyes are always drawn towards the goalscorers and the technicians, but the influence that man has on his teams is incredible.
Joe Cole believes Kante outperformed everyone including his Chelsea team-mate Jorginho
Jorginho finished third in the 2021 Balon d’Or standings following a successful campaign
‘He’ll finish his career with a bucket load of trophies, including the World Cup, and I think he’s probably one of the most outstanding midfielders ever seen. And he got overlooked for the player of the year awards.
‘When we talk Jorginho, he won the European Footballer of the Year and obviously had a great season as well. But N’Golo Kante, I feel he actually outperformed him in similar positions.’
Lionel Messi picked up the award after he won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona and lifted his first major piece of silverware with his country, having led Argentina to the Copa America in July.
Robert Lewandoski and France team-mate Karim Benzema are the other two other players who finished ahead of Kante.