Benjamin Pavard exclusive: N’Golo Kante has six lungs – I hope France win Euro 2020 to get him Ballon d’Or

ByEurosport

Updated 15/06/2021 at 08:30 GMT

Benjamin Pavard plays with the top three favourites for the 2021 Ballon d'Or; with Kylian Mbappe and N'Golo Kante for France, and with Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich. The French defender tells Eurosport that Kante deserves to win the Ballon d'Or and knows Euro 2020 victory would strengthen the Chelsea's midfielder's chances.

Benjamin Pavard is hopeful French glory at Euro 2020 can be the perfect platform for N’Golo Kante to collect the Ballon d’Or towards the end of the year.

Kante picked up man-of-the-match awards in both semi-finals and the final of the Champions League as Chelsea won their second European Cup in nine years when beating Manchester City last month.

The midfielder’s odds to win the Ballon d’Or subsequently dropped to make him third favourite behind France team-mate Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.

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• Pogba backs Kante to win Ballon d'Or

Ballon d'Or odds (as of June 14)

• Kylian Mbappe - 9/4
• Robert Lewandowski - 9/2
• N'Golo Kante - 5/1

Benjamin Pavard (L) and Robert Lewandowski (R) - Bayern Munich

Image credit: Getty Images

Pavard is one of few players to have lined up alongside all three, and having won the Bundesliga with Lewandowski the defender is now out to win Euro 2020 with Kante and Mbappe – a feat which would increase both of their chances of being named the best player in the world for 2021.

“N'Golo is N'Golo. The guy has six lungs. He never stops,” Pavard told Eurosport France's FC Stream Team podcast.

He's a great guy and he proves he's one of the best players in the world. I hope we will win the Euro to allow him to win the Ballon d'Or. He has deserved it so much for a few years, he's a great player. But we are not there yet.

World champions France begin their Euros campaign against Germany in Munich on Tuesday, with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema expected to be fit for the clash despite limping off in their final warm-up fixture against Bulgaria.

'This team stronger than World Cup 2018 side with Benzema' Pogba

His return to the international fold sees an already star-studded attack strengthened even further, and Pavard said it was a plus to have both Benzema and Olivier Giroud at their disposal.

• Inside Europe: Why France are so excited about Benzema return

Pavard added: “We know the quality of Karim. It's a plus for the France team because he's a very great player. But with Olivier Giroud too, things are going very well.

“Benzema is a plus and on paper we have a very big team. But our first quality is the state of mind. We all attack, we all defend. We will have to be as united as in 2018. Because we have talent. I trust.”

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