Jamal Musiala: A future Ballon d'Or winner?

You had to feel for the Hungary defence, with Willi Orbán, an experienced Bundesliga operator and captain of RB Leipzig as helpless as his team-mate Péter Gulácsi to stop him. Having laid off the ball off for Niclas Füllkrug to strike the opener, Musiala raced away to crown a devastating break before teeing up two further goals for Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlović with flawless passes around the edge of the box in a thumping 5-0 UEFA Nations League win. In the process, he became the first Germany international to rack up four goal involvements in one match since Marco Reus in 2021 (a 9-0 win over Liechtenstein).

The sights of Musiala drifting his way past defenders and darting passes beyond their reach have become so common, two facts are a little surprising - that his strike against Hungary was only his sixth in international football and, despite being such a canny attacking operator, he remains 21 years of age.

His delighted national team boss, Nagelsmann, said after the match of Musiala and Wirtz that "both have the potential to win the Ballon d'Or." 

Is he right?

Watch: The best of Jamal Musiala

Nagelsmann's comments provoked particular intrigue as they came in the aftermath of the Bayern magician being left off the 30-man shortlist for this year's award - which included Wirtz and Musiala's teammate Harry Kane, along with several other current and former Bundesliga stars. 

However, as was widely noted, this year's shortlist was, incredibly, the first since 2003 not to feature either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, who have dominated the award for the best part of two decades.

While he has no chance of winning the 2024 edition, it is certainly not too outlandish to picture Musiala among the leading talents of the game who could scramble to be one of the next dominant individuals. 

While Musiala's range of technical mastery - dazzling dribbling, crisp passing, impressive running and a fine shot - is there for all to see, what he needs to get in contention for the Ballon d'Or is the ability to deliver time and time again.

More star showings like the one against Hungary would help him develop in that direction. He has shown in the Bundesliga, after all, that he can tear defences apart on occasions - with a burst of six goal involvements in two matches in March 2024 coming in an 8-1 win over Mainz and 5-2 success in Darmstadt. 

Watch: Musiala bags delightful brace and assist as Bayern win well in Darmstadt

History would show that you have a better chance of a breakthrough Ballon d'Or win if you can post serious numbers in your domestic league, while also performing in European and international competitions. 

With 38 goal involvements in 57 Bundesliga appearances in recent seasons, Musiala is not far off ticking off the first of those boxes, with his title-winning goal as a late substitute on the final day of the 2022/23 season showing he has the additional asset of being a man who can deliver in key moments.

He certainly seized the chance to take a starring role in UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil, finishing as joint leading scorer of the competition with three goals and being the only member of the hosts' side to be named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now starting to loom on the horizon, and there are hopes Musiala could be the lead figure in a mean Germany attack. He would still only be 23 by the time the tournament is played in North America, meaning he almost certainly has several major tournaments in which to make a permanent impression on a global football audience.

More immediately, the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League could give Musiala a platform to wow the world, with the prospect of a final at Munich's Allianz Arena in May a tantalising one for him and his Bayern teammates. 

The proof will be in the pudding, and while Musiala will take encouragement from Germany captain and Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich saying, "the best players should be on the [Ballon d'Or] list and Jamal is definitely one of them," the award will not be won in front of the microphone, in newspaper columns or on social media, but out on the pitch.

Despite the fuss about his missing out on the current shortlist, he simply has to show more of the same. 

Musiala's artistry has already won him many admirers beyond Germany, after all. Former England international Rio Ferdinand said in a punditry role for British TV back in March 2024 that: "He’s a fabulous footballer. In a world where we talk about stats and data, he ticks that box, but it’s on the eye test where he comes alive; the way he receives the ball, he’s elusive, he rides a tackle and gets through traffic. This guy has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or."