N’Golo Kante for Ballon d’Or – not impossible. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated in recent years, with others such as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland also in contention due to their contributions in front of opponent’s goals however what Kante does between two boxes is something football academies should study on a regular basis.The Frenchman put a spectacular performance against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and a Man of the Match display in the final against Manchester City that led to a Champions League trophy for Chelsea. Kante stood out by a mile in all three matches.Gundogan misses training – Goretzka waits for another golden opportunityAfter the 2020 edition of the Ballon d’Or prize was cancelled due to COVID-19 (Robert Lewandowski should have won it, most would agree), the accolade will return this year. If Kante wins it this year, it will be first time after 2006 and Fabio Cannavaro that a defender collects the prestigious award.One of the reasons Kante is constantly providing crucial performances is his physical fitness and the state of his body. Former Real Madrid fitness coach Gregory Dupont, spoke of Kante’s preparation.”In high intensity races, he is the best performer,” said Dupont.”He is capable of repeating his efforts and recovers like nobody else, either in the course of the same game or between two.”He has innate conditions, but how he lives also helps.”He takes great care with food and hydration and he sleeps a lot.”Man United plans once Sancho officially signs: centre defender and a midfielder, focus on CamavingaEven though some players are naturally gifted with more endurance, like Kante – he is also very professional when it comes to taking care of his body and the most surprising fact probably is that he never goes to bed later than 23:30.Kante is an integral part of Didier Deschamps’ France side and will be hoping to take them all the way in this summer’s tournament.The Champions League and Europa League usually play a big role in deciding who will be crowned Europe’s top player, but this year the European Championship could prove decisive and Kante is certainly making his case.France prepare for their last-16 tie against Switzerland tomorrow but after an impressive season domestically and in Europe, the ex-Leicester City footballer is certainly one of the favourites for the ‘golden ball’.
