Former England striker Darren Bent has criticized the Ballon d’Or organizers for including Chelsea star Cole Palmer in this year’s shortlist. Bent argued that Palmer, who did not win any trophies with Chelsea or make significant appearances for England, should not have been considered.
Palmer, who recently earned a spot among the top 30 players for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, joins other notable names such as Rodri, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland. Despite scoring 27 goals and providing 15 assists in 48 games last season, Palmer did not secure any silverware with Chelsea or England.
On talkSPORT, Bent questioned Palmer’s inclusion: “He didn’t win anything domestically with Chelsea. He doesn’t play in Europe, and he doesn’t start for his country. How is he one of the 30 best players in the world?”
