Bayern Munich and Colombia forward Luis Díaz backed to win Ballon d'Or
Former Bayern Munich and Colombia forward Adolfo Valencia believes his compatriot Luis Díaz is good enough to win the Ballon d'Or.
Díaz recorded 49 goal involvements in his first season with Bayern – winning a domestic double – and also scored on his World Cup debut.
Speaking to Sport Bild about Díaz's prospects of landing football's most prestigious individual award, Valencia said: "Lucho deserves to be among the leading Ballon d'Or contenders. His numbers show he is one of the best players in the world right now.
"If Colombia go deep at the World Cup and Lucho maintains his current form, he will be among the favourites."
Watch: Luis Díaz decoded
Valencia, who scored 13 goals in 34 appearances for Bayern in 1993/94, believes Díaz's strong form since making the switch from Liverpool in the summer of 2025 is down to feeling appreciated at the Allianz Arena.
"Lucho is performing particularly well at Bayern because his teammates, the club's management and the fans are giving him the love he felt was lacking towards the end of his time at Liverpool," he said.
"When Lucho feels comfortable and appreciated, he's even more motivated to repay the club on the pitch because he's a very grateful and down-to-earth person."
Valencia added that the quality of teammates such as Harry Kane and Michael Olise, as well as the work of head coach Vincent Kompany, have also played a "key role" in Díaz's success.
Having opened his World Cup account against Uzbekistan, Díaz has the chance to further enhance his reputation in Colombia's remaining Group K matches against Congo DR and Portugal.
The 29-year-old forward also scored seven goals in South American qualifying, with only Argentina captain Lionel Messi (eight) finding the net more often.
