Kylian Mbappe is convinced he has a strong case for the Ballon d’Or this year despite his lack of silverware with Real Madrid and France.
Football’s most prestigious individual prize is an honour that has escaped Mbappe to this point in his illustrious career.
Mbappe finished third in the voting in 2023 when Lionel Messi won for the eighth time, with that year marking the only one in which he has featured in the top three.
Bayern Munich and England talisman Harry Kane is the bookmakers’ favourite for the award, with Lamine Yamal also seemingly ahead of Mbappe following Spain’s triumph at the World Cup.
Mbappe backs himself for Ballon d’Or
Mbappe endured disappointment this summer as France lost to Spain in the semi-finals, with that unsuccessful campaign following a second season with Real Madrid in which Los Blancos went without a trophy.
Individually, however, Mbappe enjoyed an extremely prolific 2025-26 season, scoring 42 goals in 44 games for Madrid. He then scored 10 at the World Cup to become the tournament’s all-time top scorer with 22, and has already found the net four times for Madrid this term.
And he believes those feats should trump his fortunes in terms of team silverware when it comes to the Ballon d’Or voting.
“I would vote for myself to win the Ballon d’Or,” Mbappe told L’Equipe.
“I’m convinced that I can win it this year, so I haven’t taken any distance from it.
“Of course. I see it as an individual award. People look at what the player has contributed individually.
“Then some say I haven’t won titles, but I haven’t seen a Ballon d’Or awarded unanimously that meets all the conditions every time.
“Has it ever been awarded with 100 per cent of the votes? That means there’s always someone who thinks the winner doesn’t deserve it. From that point, I’m not saying I’ll win it unanimously.
“But I believe I have the arguments: to be the all-time top scorer in the World Cup, and to surpass all the legends of the sport in the most important tournament this sport has ever created.
“That’s something that sticks in people’s minds, it’s a global event. To finish as the top scorer in the most important competition where the world’s best players participate is a big deal.
“I don’t know if that’s ever been achieved before, but the principle says that making history should always be rewarded.
“I’d vote for myself. But I can understand those who vote for someone else. We’re not in a dictatorship of thought.
“But when I look at the arguments, and when I look at the competition, I look at myself and say: Yes… it wouldn’t be stolen.”
When is the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be named on October 26.
In a departure from tradition, the ceremony will be held in London, rather than in Paris.
The award is based on performance for the 2025-26 season, rather than the calendar year. It covers the period from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026, with the exploits of players for their clubs and at the World Cup taken into account.
Mbappe’s France team-mate Ousmane Dembele won the award in 2025, emerging victorious ahead of Yamal and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha after PSG won the Champions League for the first time in 2024-25, a title they successfully defended last season.
As Mbappe’s former club again tasted European success, Madrid exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. They finished eight points behind Barcelona in LaLiga and went out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16 at the hands of second-tier Albacete.
Despite those disappointments, Mbappe is still firmly in the running to receive the prize for the first time, with PSG star Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Spain’s World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri also considered among the favourites. Barcelona midfielder Rodri won in 2024 during his time with Manchester City.
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