Despite winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, Sadio Mane must also help Liverpool win in Europe.
Liverpool need to win the Champions League first before Sadio Mane can think about the Ballon d’Or, according to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Senegal international scored his 20th goal of the season on Wednesday to help Liverpool claim a 2-0 win over Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.
In doing so, Mane extended his recent scoring run to six goals in seven games to keep the Reds in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple. He also helped Senegal win a first AFCON title and qualify for the 2022 World Cup earlier this year.
Can Mane win the 2022 Ballon d’Or?
But while acknowledging the 30-year-old has been ‘outstanding’, Klopp feels that any player that isn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo must win the Champions League to have a realistic shot at the Ballon d’Or.
“Mane has had an outstanding season and is an outstanding player,” the Liverpool boss said in a post-match press conference at Anfield.
“I have nothing to do with the Ballon d’Or nominations. I don’t understand it 100%.
“He is world-class. He again played a really good game for us but I don’t know how I can answer with the season not even over.
“Historically, we have to win something to win the Ballon d’Or, most of the time it was like this. If you’re not Messi or Ronaldo, you have to probably win the Champions League, which we haven’t done yet.
“Give us a few more weeks and we will see where we end up. Sadio wants to contribute, he wants to help the team, and that’s what I love most about it.”
Mane and Liverpool return to action on Saturday away to Newcastle in the Premier League.
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