Some might say that predicting a future Ballon d'Or prize for a player who has made 17 first team appearances in Serie A would be ludicrous, but a major bookmaker in Italy is convinced that a 20-year-old talent is the next big thing.
Betting company Sisal Matchpoint have launched a special of 50/1 for 20-year-old Cengiz Under to win the Ballon d'Or before 2023 after a series of impressive performances for the club this season.
To put Under's prediction into perspective, the 50/1 odds are the same for Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez, Mohamed Salah, Philippe Coutinho or Harry Kane to win the 2018 prize. I repeat, the 2018 Ballon d'Or prize.
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As well as scoring his first Champions League goal in their win against Shakhtar Donetsk this week, the Turkish winger has scored five goals in his last four games.
Earlier this month, Lionel Messi named four players who have the potential to lift the coveted individual prize in 2018, but Cengiz Under failed to make the cut.
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While the usual contenders of Ronaldo and Messi will be the front runners to raise Ballon d'Or glory, the Argentine maestro has also identified a couple of other players who can rival himself and Ronaldo.
"There are many great players around today who can win the Ballon d'Or," Messi told WorldSoccer Magazine via Mirror.
Messi is aware of the Ballon d'Or stranglehold between himself and Ronaldo, but he's recognised the emergence of Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as well as club colleague Luis Suarez.
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"In recent years there have just been two, but now players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Luis Suarez can compete," he added.
The last time a player not called Ronaldo or Messi won the Ballon d'Or was all the way back in 2007 when AC Milan midfielder Kaka lifted the trophy.
Who will win the next Ballon d'Or trophy?
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Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Roma, Ballon d'Or
