Antoine Griezmann is good enough to win the Ballon d'Or over Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Atletico Madrid and France striker Griezmann is on the verge of claiming the European Championship golden boot after scoring six goals to help France into the Euro 2016 final.
And Wenger thinks that the French forward is already at a level capable of challenging for UEFA's top individual award.
"Griezmann for me is one of the candidates for the Golden Ball [Ballon d'Or]," Wenger told Konbini. "In Spain, he is not far from Ronaldo and Messi.
"Age is on his side and look at the Euros: six goals, three or four assists -- these stats are not nothing.
"This year he went to the Champions League final by scoring in all the big games, not to mention that he scored 22 goals in La Liga. So yes, why not the Ballon d'Or?"
No player other than Messi and Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or since 2007.
Barcelona forward Messi is the current holder of the award and has won it a total of five times, while Real Madrid's Ronaldo has been named World Player of the Year on three occasions in that stretch, most recently in 2014.