Kante was the highest ranked Premier League player in Thursday’s ceremony, finishing in eighth spot.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was once again the standout candidate and took home the accolade for the second year in a row ahead of his Barcelona arch-rival Lionel Messi.
But Conte feels that Kante is bound to miss out in the future with the way the current voting system works.
“Honestly I don’t know if N’Golo Kante can win the Ballon d’Or in his life because of the characteristics of this player,” he said.
“But for me, he is the Ballon d’Or. For a coach Kante has to win, for every coach.”
And the Italian tactician reckons Eden Hazard is closing in on Ronaldo and Messi, even though the Belgian playmaker only squeezed into the top 20.
He added: “Eden has the right characteristics to try to fight with these giants.
“He has to try to do this. And to improve his position in this table in the next year.
“When you see these players you see a hunger in every moment. For this reason, these players are special.
“I like to call it a sacred fire, when you have it inside you, the desire, the will to win every game, to score goals.
“Every one of us, we have this sacred fire and we have to find the right solution to improve it.
“The flame can be big or little. When you have an inferno it means you are like Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar.”
Chelsea travel to face Premier League strugglers West Ham today (12.30pm).