France captain Kylian Mbappé is making his case for the 2026 Ballon d'Or based on his individual records, following a season without a major trophy for both his country and Real Madrid. The award ceremony takes place in London on Monday, with the prize voted on entirely by journalists.
Mbappé ended the 2025-26 season, on which the Ballon d'Or is judged, without winning a major honour. Real Madrid failed to secure La Liga or the Champions League, while France finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup after losing to Spain in the semi-finals and to England in the third-place playoff.
To offset this lack of team success, the forward is leaning on his remarkable personal statistics. He became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, with 22 goals in 22 matches, overtaking Lionel Messi (21 goals) and Miroslav Klose (16 goals). "Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out," he said. He also won the World Cup Golden Boot for the second successive tournament.
At club level, Mbappé finished as La Liga's top scorer with 25 goals and the Champions League's leading marksman with 15. His Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, has backed his claim. The 27-year-old is not short on confidence. Asked about his vote, he replied bluntly: "Who am I voting for? Myself."
The Cristiano Ronaldo precedent
The last player to win the Ballon d'Or without a major trophy was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013, also while at Real Madrid. That year, the Portuguese scored 66 goals for club and country. Mbappé believes the ability to shine individually is key. "The ability to perform individually and produce eye-catching moments, that’s what stands out to people for an award like this," he stated.
The current holder is his France teammate Ousmane Dembélé, who won the Champions League with PSG in 2025. In 2023, the award went to Spain's Rodri after he won Euro 2024 with Spain and the Premier League with Manchester City.
France's current context
Alongside this individual pursuit, the France national team is in strong form. Les Bleus are unbeaten in their last four matches, with three wins and a draw. Their most recent result was a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Belgium on October 5th, in which Michael Olise scored a brace. Kylian Mbappé remains the side's top scorer this season with 10 goals in 8 appearances. Mbappé will hope his performances in the blue shirt, combined with his records, are enough to secure his first Ballon d'Or in London on Monday.
Background and full detail: aljazeera.com
