Could Hirving Lozano be a Future Ballon d’Or Winner?

The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious award in football, given to the greatest player in the world every year. There has never been a Mexican winner of the coveted trophy, and for the last ten years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated.

With the Argentine and Portuguese a step above the rest, it has been hard for any other player to break through. But now the careers of the two superstars are winding down, the contest could be more open in the future. Hirving Lozano is a player with great potential - could he be the first ever Mexican to lift the Ballon d’Or?

Lozano, otherwise known as Chucky, has made a name for himself as one of the hottest attackers on the planet in recent years. Currently plying his trade at PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie, it is likely that the Mexican youngster will be snapped up by one of Europe’s elite clubs in the coming years for a hefty transfer fee. In his first year at PSV, Chucky helped them top the division, and he has notched 27 goals in 42 league games for the club so far. Since moving to the Holland club from Pachuca in 2017, the skilful trickster has improved greatly and could easily go on to be named among the best in the world in the future.

PSV Director of Football Marcel Brands has compared Lozano to Messi, saying that the Mexican has a low centre of gravity and excellent ball control similar to the Barcelona legend. Brands also noted how explosive and clinical Chucky is in front of goal, other traits akin to Messi. It is no surprise that the 23-year-old has attracted the interest of clubs like Barca and Juventus, and if he wants to go on to be a world beater he will need to join one of these sides.

When Messi and Ronaldo finally start to wane, Real Madrid’s Luka Modric is expected to be in line for the coveted Ballon d’Or. The Croatian was one of the standout players at the Russia World Cup last summer, and he ended the tournament with the Golden Ball. However, in Croatia’s recent Nations League fixture with England he was unable to exert as much influence as in their semi-final meeting. The Three Lions were tipped to win the tie, and ended up prevailing 2-1. Still, there is no doubting that Modric is one of the best playmakers in the world who deserves recognition.

Modric managed to step up his game and take it to elite level upon joining Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur, and Lozano will have to do the same if he is to challenge the Croatian for the Ballon d’Or. If Barcelona have earmarked the PSV man as a long-term replacement for Messi, then there is no telling the heights that Lozano could reach in his career. Mexico may soon name their first ever Ballon d’Or winner.