Former AC Milan striker Kevin-Prince Boateng has declared Mario Balotelli had Ballon d'Or talent.

Boateng played with Adana Demirspor striker Balotelli at Milan.

He told TVPlay: "I love Balotelli, for me he could have won the Ballon d'Or three times. He needed someone like me every day or people to point him in the right direction.

"(Rafael) Leao is very strong, but Mario was on another level, he was a phenomenon.

"He showed what he could do, I played with him and saw what he can do when he's serious. We all know what he could do, then not everyone manages to play for many years at the highest level, but for me, when he was at the top, he was in the five best strikers in the world."

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Lightning winger named a potential buyout candidate
Curry Brand signs 'Japanese Steph Curry' to multi-year deal
Steelers LB T.J. Watt addresses retirement timeline
136-game streak comes to an end for Spain in Euro 2024 opener
Watch: Bryson DeChambeau pays tribute to the late Payne Stewart after winning U.S. Open
Rory McIlroy chokes away U.S. Open with pair of brutal missed putts
Watch: Dodgers' Mookie Betts leaves game after taking 98 mph pitch to hand
Dodgers' Dave Roberts confirms Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going on 15-day IL
Ryan Blaney staves off challengers for dominant win at Iowa Corn 350
Sky forward Angel Reese rips officials following loss to Fever
Watch: Denmark's Christian Eriksen nets goal at Euro 2024 three years after suffering cardiac arrest
Watch: UFL championship marred by late on-field altercation between Stallions, Brahmas
Is Commanders' Jayden Daniels likely to open season as starting QB?
Kyrie Irving's warning to potential Celtics is being taken out of context
What could the Ducks fetch for Trevor Zegras in trade?
The biggest surprises during the 2024 MLB season so far
Dodgers star will miss 'some time' with broken bone in left wrist
Former MLB journeyman dies at 61 years old
Pivotal Celtics center deemed questionable ahead of Game 5
Draymond Green weighs in on Klay Thompson's latest move