Kylian Mbappe Makes Ballon d’Or Case After Record World Cup

Kylian Mbappe believes his achievements for Real Madrid and France could put him in contention to win the Ballon d’Or for the first time. BBC Sport reported that the 27-year-old views 2026 as a possible breakthrough year in the award, while acknowledging that the final decision rests with the journalists who vote.

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Mbappe scored 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid last season, although the Spanish club ended the campaign without a trophy. He has opened the new season with four goals in four matches. His best previous Ballon d’Or finish was third place in 2023, when he was still playing for Paris Saint-Germain.

His case also includes an exceptional World Cup campaign. Mbappe won the tournament’s Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals, raising his career total at World Cups to a record 22. France finished fourth, preventing him from adding another team honour to the World Cup title he won with his country in 2018.

The Real Madrid forward told BBC Sport that playing for the Spanish club naturally brings association with the Ballon d’Or. He said he considers himself the best player in the world but accepts that others will have different opinions. Mbappe pointed to his World Cup record as part of his argument while leaving the judgment to voters.

Competition for the award remains strong ahead of the ceremony on 26 October. The BBC reported that bookmakers have Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Rodri at shorter odds than Mbappe. Kane scored a Bayern Munich club-record 61 goals in 51 games as the German side won a domestic double, while also scoring six times at the World Cup. Yamal won both La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain, where he was a teammate of Rodri.

Mbappe is already the leading scorer in the histories of Paris Saint-Germain and France, with 256 goals in 308 appearances for PSG and 66 in 106 international games. He has added 90 goals in 107 matches for Real Madrid but has not won a major trophy in two seasons at the Bernabeu. His individual honours include eight consecutive domestic league Golden Boots, as well as two World Cup and two Champions League scoring titles. For now, he said his priority is helping Real Madrid win their next game and begin their Champions League campaign well.