Mason Greenwood completed a permanent move away from Manchester United in July 2024, joining French Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, and his manager Roberto De Zerbi has suggested the forward has the ability to one day lift the Ballon d’Or.
Marseille head coach Roberto de Zerbi has stated that ex-Manchester United attacker Mason Greenwood has the qualities required to eventually win the Ballon d’Or. Greenwood left Old Trafford in July 2024 after Marseille secured his services in a £26.6 million deal.
In his debut season with the French club, the 23-year-old scored 22 goals and registered six assists across all competitions. Greenwood has not featured for United since January 2022, after the club carried out an internal investigation and decided he would not play for them again following allegations of attempted rape, coercive control, and assault made earlier that year.
Those charges were dropped in February 2023, with Greenwood consistently maintaining his innocence. The former academy graduate has already recorded 13 goals in all competitions this season, including three strikes in the Champions League.
Addressing the media on Friday ahead of Marseille’s clash with Monaco, De Zerbi reiterated his confidence in Greenwood’s extraordinary ability to reach the top of world football.
He said: “I see him every day, he has huge potential. I don’t see any other players in Europe at the same level.
“He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. It will be up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not.
“At the level of the qualities that nature has given him, that his parents have given him, I think he is worthy of the Ballon d’Or.
“I would like him to be more consistent. I know he needs to press with more intensity, he needs to manage the ball better when the team is in trouble, not lose the ball easily but keep it to allow the team to move up because he has the ability to do it.”
Greenwood, who has made one appearance for England, officially switched his international allegiance to Jamaica earlier this year.
He secured a Jamaican passport in August, making him eligible to represent the nation of his grandparents.
That decision appears even more decisive following Thomas Tuchel’s comments ruling out any return to the England setup.
“I have not spoken to him until now,” he said in September.
“I have not spoken to him or his camp. My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn’t give it another thought.
“He was not in the mix at the moment and he is not in our thoughts for our team.”
