Roberto De Zerbi did not whisper his view on Mason Greenwood. He shouted it to the football world.

In a pre-match press conference before Marseille’s Ligue 1 clash with Monaco in mid-December 2025, the Italian coach said Greenwood has “Ballon d’Or potential” and described a recent Champions League goal in such vivid detail that the words later appeared almost word-for-word on social media.

For a player whose career has been under a powerful spotlight on and off the pitch, it was a striking public challenge: you have the talent to be the best in the world – what are you going to do with it?

De Zerbi’s Ballon d’Or verdict on Greenwood

Across several respected outlets – including France24, beIN Sports, Le Figaro, Eurosport and others – De Zerbi is quoted making the same core point: Greenwood is not just good; he is, in his eyes, potentially Ballon d’Or good.

One reported quote sums up his view:

“Mason has tremendous potential. I don’t see many players of this calibre in Europe. For me, he has Ballon d’Or potential.”

In another line, he pushes the responsibility straight back onto his player:

“It will be up to him to decide if he wants to do everything he can to compete for the Ballon d’Or. But based on his natural talent, he has that potential.”

So De Zerbi is doing two things at once. He is putting Greenwood in a tiny group of elite players in Europe, and he is making it clear that talent alone will not carry him there.

“If your coach is saying Ballon d’Or, you either rise to it or crumble under it – there’s no in-between.”

The Union Saint-Gilloise goal that left De Zerbi speechless

The trigger for this outpouring of praise was not just Greenwood’s numbers. It was a single moment in midweek Champions League action against Union Saint-Gilloise.

Greenwood scored twice in a 3–2 win. But it was his second goal that De Zerbi kept coming back to. Different reports share a similar picture of what the coach saw from the touchline.

He spoke about Greenwood’s dribble “like Drogba” – a comparison that immediately raises expectations. Didier Drogba is a Champions League winner and one of the most complete forwards of his era. To mention Greenwood and Drogba in the same breath is not done lightly.

De Zerbi then described the finish: a shot that, in his words, “easily beat a goalkeeper who’s over two metres tall”. He said that moment left him speechless, with one French account noting he even turned to his bench and used an expletive in French to show his shock.

For a coach who demands control and detail, to admit he was left without words tells you how special he thought that goal was.

A rare blend of praise and pressure

The most interesting part of De Zerbi’s comments is not actually the praise itself. Many managers talk up their stars. The key is how he couples big compliments with clear demands.

Reports from outlets like beIN Sports and Le Figaro say De Zerbi did not hide from Greenwood’s weak points. Alongside “Ballon d’Or potential”, he called for:

• More consistency across games and over the season
• More intense pressing without the ball
• Better ball management – when to keep it, when to pass, when to risk

This is classic De Zerbi. He is known as a coach who loves talent but also loves structure. For him, a forward is not just about highlight clips. It is about pressing triggers, team shape, and smart decisions in tight spaces.

So, when he says Greenwood can be a Ballon d’Or contender, he is not handing him a medal. He is setting a bar. Greenwood has the natural tools, but his game without the ball, and his focus from minute one to minute ninety, still need to grow.

“This isn’t empty hype – De Zerbi is basically saying: ‘Your talent is world class, your habits aren’t there yet.’”

Why the Ballon d’Or line matters so much

Ballon d’Or talk is never small. This is the award that has defined the careers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and shaped how we talk about greatness for a whole generation.

For a coach of De Zerbi’s standing to say a player has that level of potential does three things.

• It raises the internal standards inside the club – team-mates now know how highly their coach rates Greenwood.
• It shapes the external narrative – media and fans will watch his performances through a harsher, more demanding lens.
• It sends a direct message to the player – this is the level your coach expects you to chase.

De Zerbi even framed it as a choice. He said it was up to Greenwood whether he will “do everything he can to fight/compete for the Ballon d’Or”. Those words matter. He is not saying, “If things go well, maybe.” He is asking if Greenwood will be ready to push himself in every part of his game, not just in front of goal.

Greenwood’s Marseille numbers back up the hype

Context also supports De Zerbi’s claim. Greenwood joined Marseille in July 2024, and by the time of this press conference, his goal output was being highlighted across the coverage.

Different outlets give slightly different totals, but one common figure cited is 35 goals and 9 assists in 56 appearances for Marseille in all competitions. However you slice it, that is a very strong return for a forward still shaping his peak years.

Those numbers do not make a Ballon d’Or winner on their own, but they explain why De Zerbi is so bullish about Greenwood’s ceiling. Add to that the kind of individual goal he scored against Union Saint-Gilloise – the Drogba-style dribble, the powerful finish past a huge keeper – and you can see why his coach talks about “calibre” and “tremendous potential”.

“If he cleans up the pressing and decision-making, those stats plus that talent could explode in a top-five league.”

Media reaction: from Fabrizio Romano to French outlets

One reason this story has spread so widely is the level of media backing behind it. De Zerbi’s quotes were not a single stray line on a fringe site. They were repeated across:

• France24 – with the headline that Marseille’s coach “tips Greenwood as ‘potential Ballon d’Or’”
• beIN Sports – reporting “Greenwood has Ballon d’Or potential, says De Zerbi” in English
• Le Figaro – giving detailed French coverage, including the Drogba comparison and that stunned expletive on the bench
• Eurosport (France) – also running with the line “Greenwood a le potentiel d’un Ballon d’Or”
• Regional and club-linked outlets like Le Dauphiné and Le Phocéen

On top of that, Fabrizio Romano – one of the mosttrusted names in football news and transfer reporting – helped amplify the story on social channels. His reach, plus the backing of major news brands, means we are not dealing with a misheard quote or a loose translation.

The message from the press conference is consistent across sources: De Zerbi sees Greenwood as a player of rare, elite potential, but one who must still work on his game to turn that into reality.

Constructive criticism: the other half of the story

It is worth underlining that De Zerbi did not give a free pass to Greenwood. In fact, the structure of his comments follows a classic coaching pattern:

1. Raise the ceiling: talk openly about Ballon d’Or potential and elite calibre.
2. Point out the gaps: highlight inconsistency, pressing, and ball management.
3. Shift the choice: make it clear it is up to the player to decide how far he wants to go.

From a dressing-room point of view, that is smart management. It sends the signal that no one, not even the star forward, is above the hard work and tactical discipline that De Zerbi demands in his teams.

It also fits with how modern top coaches talk. Pep Guardiola often praises his stars then immediately lists the areas he wants more from. Jürgen Klopp does something similar. De Zerbi is cut from that cloth: high praise, higher standards.

What comes next for Greenwood and Marseille?

So where does this leave Greenwood?

In the short term, it adds extra focus on every Marseille game. Fans and pundits will ask: is this the performance of a player who can one day be in the Ballon d’Or conversation? Or is it another reminder that there is still a long road ahead?

For Greenwood himself, the challenge is simple but not easy:

• Keep producing goals and assists at a high rate.
• Match that output with consistent work off the ball.
• Cut down on quiet spells in games – be dangerous and involved over 90 minutes.
• Turn Champions League moments like the Union Saint-Gilloise goal into regular events, not rare flashes.

For De Zerbi and Marseille, this is also a statement of intent. They are not just a stop on a career path; they are a club ready to host and shape players who can, in their manager’s eyes, aim for the very top individual prize in the sport.

Whether Greenwood ever stands on a Ballon d’Or stage is impossible to know today. But the fact his coach is willing to talk about that possibility – and demand the work to match it – is a story in itself.

From a Drogba-style goal in Europe to a press room in France, De Zerbi has thrown down the gauntlet. The rest of the story now sits at Greenwood’s feet.