Five Reasons Why Kylian Mbappe Should Win the Ballon d’Or

“You cannot give the Ballon d’Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup. The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, will be missed forever.”

So said José Mourinho when asked for his take on who should walk away with soccer’s top individual award on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.

Though he didn’t name any one player specifically, the Real Madrid’s manager’s words were a fairly transparent plug for his own striker, Kylian Mbappé—a man who both made history in 2026 and, vexingly, still managed to end the season trophy-free.

“I have never said, ‘I’m going to win it’. But I think I had a good year. Many people have said I had a good year and connected me with the trophy. So let’s see what can happen.”
Kylian Mbappé on Ballon d’Or chances.

Had Mbappé lifted one of the trophies that matter this year, he would likely already have his acceptance speech prepared and his shoes shined in anticipation of his inevitable Ballon d’Or triumph. But he didn’t, and the 2026 race for the award is one of the most genuinely intriguing in recent memory. There are five or six players who could conceivably win it, but none who absolutely must.

The Ballon d’Or clearly means an awful lot to Mbappe. The striker, who has never previously finished higher than third in the rankings for soccer’s most prestigious individual prize, has been campaigning like he’s Leonardo DiCaprio chasing an Oscar ahead of next month’s ceremony, making his case to voters in recent weeks.

And, to be fair, it’s a strong case.

Pichichi Trophy Win ... Again

Kylian Mbappé — Mbappé has never not won the Pichichi since he’s been in Spain. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Though Real Madrid’s museum tour didn’t add any trophy stops in 2025–26, Mbappé’s personal honors cabinet will need reinforcing.

Mbappé top-scored in La Liga with 25 goals in 31 games, earning him back-to-back Pichichi trophies in his first two seasons in Spain—a feat not achieved by any player since the great Mario Kempes in the ‘70s.

A lack of a team trophy continues to dog Mbappé during his two turbulent Real Madrid years, but on an individual level he could hardly have offered a more consistent and clinical presence as the spearhead of the attack.

At the end of the 2025–25 club season, the 27-year-old had a scarcely believable 86 goals in 103 competitive matches for Real Madrid. The Frenchman has also now scored against every single opponent he has faced in La Liga—a total of 23 different clubs.

Champions League Top Scorer

The Champions League Golden Boot also ended up with Mbappé, despite Real Madrid getting knocked out at the quarterfinal stage.

Mbappé bagged a total of 15 in just 11 matches—no player other than Cristiano Ronaldo has ever hit that total in a single Champions League campaign.

The former PSG superstar scored in each leg of Madrid’s quarterfinal against Bayern Munich and racked up the other 13 in just seven League Phase matches—a new competition record—including a hat trick against Kairat and four-goal haul against Olympiacos.

Mbappé now ranks as the fifth-highest scorer of all time in the Champions League, with 71 goals in 99 appearances.

Confirmed Shortlists

• Ballon d'Or Nominees (Men’s and Women's)

• Kopa Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s

• Yashin Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year)

• Club of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s

• Coach of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

Second World Cup Golden Boot Win

Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele — Mbappé lit up North America. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Another tournament, another Golden Boot—and, probably, the most significant in Mbappé’s claim for the Ballon d’Or.

At the 2026 World Cup, Mbappé came out on top in a personal battle with Lionel Messi on soccer’s grandest stage to both take home the Golden Boot and become the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

Ultimately, Mbappé’s ten goals in eight matches in North America (taking him to 22 overall), saw him win on both counts.

He is now the first ever to retain the Golden Boot in the tournament’s near-100-year history.

The Showreel

Imagine you decided to—TV rights permitting— sit down at your laptop and edit a sizzle reel of the best individual moments across all of 2025–26. There’s a good chance Mbappé would get more air time than any other player.

The 2026 World Cup will be remembered as a tournament where the stars came out, but it was Mbappé who shone the brightest, putting together a personal highlights package to win over America, outgunning even Messi and cementing his status as an all-time great—even as France fell short.

The semifinal aside, he was unstoppable in North America, scoring more decisive, aesthetically pleasing goals than any one player has a right to in a single tournament. Mbappé also showed his grittier side, standing up to brutality in the knockout clash with Paraguay and still coming out on top.

For Real Madrid too—amid all the drama and sideshow—he was consistently the most thrilling and important player on the pitch, undaunted by any occasion and with a near-unparalleled ability to produce the spectacular.

Legacy

This year more than ever has brought to the fore the hypocrisies and impossibilities of picking the single best player in a team sport.

Is Harry Kane’s ludicrous goal haul more significant than Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s darting, wriggling, match-winning Champions League displays? Is Lamine Yamal better than Lionel Messi because Spain beat Argentina? Should the prize go to Fabián Ruiz simply because he won both the Champions League and World Cup??

Ultimately, why even attempt to make sense of the subjective? It’s impossible.

In the words of Mourinho: “The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, will be missed forever. I miss [Diego] Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Messi, Zizou [Zidane], Lothar Matthäus ... I miss these people.”

Mbappé is one of those special players, and this year is as good as any to recognize that.

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