Jose Mourinho Rails Against PSG, Spain Stars to Name His 2026 Ballon d’Or Pick

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho heavily hinted that he believes Kylian Mbappé should win this year’s Ballon d’Or, dismissing rival contenders from the teams that won soccer’s biggest prizes.

Mourinho has made it abundantly apparent how much he admires Mbappé during their first few weeks working together, hailing the “eternal” star as an “incredible” talent capable of toppling all sorts of records at Real Madrid.

Beyond his decision to return for preseason training ahead of schedule—a surefire way to win over a manager like Mourinho—Mbappé’s scoring feats at this summer’s World Cup caught the coach’s eye. While France could not advance beyond the semifinal—a match in which the captain was resoundingly muzzled—Mbappé claimed a second Golden Boot while also establishing himself as the all-time top scorer in the competition’s history.

Kylian Mbappé stole the show for Real Madrid on their Bernabéu debut. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

“For me, the Ballon d’Or has to go to those players who, when they retire, we’ll miss forever,” Mourinho told assembled media before Real Madrid’s clash with Málaga on Sunday. “I miss [Diego] Maradona, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Lionel] Messi, [Zinedine] Zidane, [Lothar] Matthäus...”

According to Mourinho, “there are two, three or four” modern day players who can be spoken in the same breath as those aforementioned legends. Conveniently, they all happen to play for Real Madrid: “We know who they are. We know where they are—right here. We know who made history on an individual level this summer.”

Jude Bellingham also enjoyed an impressive World Cup while Vinícius Júnior was Brazil’s best player, but there is little doubt that this is a clear allusion to Mbappé, who Mourinho had already praised for surpassing Messi’s individual scoring record.

Mourinho Battling History With Ballon d’Or Pick

“You can’t give the Ballon d’Or just because someone won the Champions League or the World Cup,” Mourinho argued, getting onto the main point of contention. Paris Saint-Germain may have lifted Europe’s premier club competition for a second year in succession while Spain claimed global glory in North America, but the Madrid boss put those triumphs down to the collective, which the head coach should be responsible for.

“If you want to reward the Champions League, give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique as the best coach,” he claimed. “As for Spain, [Luis] de la Fuente certainly deserves it. That would be the ultimate tribute. Being the best in the world is another matter. You don't have to play for PSG or Spain.”

However, history would suggest that the World Cup and Champions League will have a large say when the Ballon d’Or is handed out at a London ceremony in October.

Ballon d’Or Winners in World Cup Years

Year / Ballon d’Or Winner	World Cup Finish	Champions League Finish
2023 / Lionel Messi	Winner	Round of 16
2018 / Luka Modrić	Third	Winner
2014 / Cristiano Ronaldo	Group Stage	Winner
2010 / Lionel Messi	Quarterfinals	Semifinals
2006 / Fabio Cannavaro	Winner	Quarterfinals
2002 / Ronaldo	Winner	N/A
1998 / Zinedine Zidane	Winner	Final

Since the award was expanded to include players of all nationalities in 1995, there have been seven World Cups. Four champions have won the Ballon d’Or while two of those who didn’t triumph on the global stage lifted that year’s European title. The only exception to the rule is Lionel Messi’s triumph in 2010.

“The Ballon d’Or has a political side to it, and when politics comes into play, I don’t like it as much,” Mourinho huffed. “We already know my take on the Ballon d’Or. We’re not going to make it up in Spain or at PSG. There, it’s Luis Enrique or De la Fuente. The best player is someone else.”

Who Are the Favorites to Win the Ballon d’Or?

Spain midfielder Rodri won the World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Mbappé is undoubtedly one of the contenders for the Ballon d'Or, yet, it would be a stretch to consider him among the favorites. Working off Mourinho’s World Cup theory, Spain’s Player of the Tournament Rodri is surely in with a shout.

The highly-influential defensive midfielder was imperious over the summer—so much so that Real Madrid were willing to break their transfer strategy of avoiding senior stars to try to sign him—but the former Manchester City man endured an underwhelming club campaign in 2025–26.

PSG’s Champions League winning contingent includes Spain’s Fabián Ruiz, who ticks both trophy boxes but little else in the quest to be crowned the world’s greatest player. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost unanimously cemented his place as the most exciting individual on the continent during a beguiling run to European success with PSG, but Georgia failed to even qualify for the World Cup.

In what could prove to be a sticking point for Mourinho, Mbappé’s toughest Ballon d’Or challenger may be another player who failed to win the World Cup or Champions League: Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich talisman outscored Madrid’s star (73 vs. 58) while leading the Bavarians to the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Los Blancos. Kane’s England also defeat Mbappé’s France in the third-place World Cup playoff.

Kylian Mbappe vs. Harry Kane

Statistics	Kylian Mbappé	Harry Kane
Goals (club and country)	58	73
World Cup finish	Fourth	Third
Champions League finish	Quarterfinals	Semifinals
Top-flight finish	2nd	1st
Domestic cup finish	Round of 16	Winners

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