Mason Mount has said it has “blown my mind” to be named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.
The Chelsea midfielder has had a stellar rise at Stamford Bridge, and his appearance on the Ballon d’Or shortlist comes on the back of a Champions League win and a run to the final of Euro 2020 with England.
Mount sets career goals to challenge himself, and the 22-year-old feels he is ahead of schedule by making the 2021 Ballon d’Or shortlist.
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Mount has revealed he was a ballboy when Chelsea took on Lionel Messi and Barcelona.
“To see my name alongside the names I’ve looked up to all my life is crazy, Messi in particular,” Mount said. “When I was younger I was a ball boy during a Barcelona and Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge, and seeing him up close was amazing.”
The Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in Paris on Monday, and Mount will find himself in unfamiliar territory in terms of his attire.
“I don’t really get the opportunity to wear many suits,” Mount said. “I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve worn a suit in my life. This is all very new to me. The pitch is my natural habitat, and now I have to work out how to do a bow tie. The Ballon d’Or presentation will be the first time I’ve ever worn black tie!”
Messi is hot favourite to win the Ballon d’Or for a seventh time, but should Mount somehow pull off a shock and take the prize there will be no lavish celebrations.
“I’m back on the pitch the next morning for training, so even if I do somehow end up winning, it won’t be a big night of drinking, unfortunately,” Mount said.
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You can watch a free livestream of the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app on Monday night. Join us from 19:30-21:00 GMT as the best male and female players on the planet are crowned in Paris (stream available to UK users only)
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