Kaka's Ballon d'Or win in 2007 should really have been appreciated more at the time.

When the Brazilian picked up the accolade a decade ago, little did we know that it was about to become a two-horse race for the foreseeable future.

The award hasn't lost any of its prestige, but it's fair to say it's become a little predictable.

Gone are the days when Michael Owen could win it.

The only question nowadays is which of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will be crowned top dog.

There were few complaints about the Portuguese's triumph in 2016, a year in which he won the European Championships and the Champions League.

Real Madrid are on course for a league and European double this time around, so it would be no surprise if he was named the world's greatest again.

However, a lot of neutrals will be hoping that Juventus can scupper that sequence of events. That's not just because everyone is getting a bit bored of Madrid winning everything; if anyone deserves to win the Champions League, it's Gianluigi Buffon.

Mbappe is a huge fan

The legendary goalkeeper has won a new admirer in Kylian Mbappe, and the Monaco starlet insists the Italian also deserves to be recognised by becoming just the second stopper - after Lev Yashin in 1965 - to win the Ballon d'Or.

"For all of his work, [Buffon] deserves the Ballon d'Or, but I think it depends on the Champions League final," he told Eurosport, quoted via Goal.

"If Real Madrid win, I think it will be Cristiano Ronaldo but otherwise, I think it would be good for Buffon to win the Golden Ball. "

Judging by the season he's just had with Monaco, Mbappe might just be a future winner himself.

The 18-year-old scored 26 goals in all competitions, helping the principality club to a first Ligue 1 title in 17 years.

It's that kind of form that has made the teenager a target for the likes of Real, and it wouldn't be a surprise if we saw him lining up alongside Ronaldo before long.

Do enough non-goalscorers win the Ballon d'Or? Have your say in the comments.