‘Every player wants to win it’: Kylian Mbappé eyes first Ballon d’Or award
The France captain says the award should reward individual excellence after he led the World Cup, La Liga and Champions League scoring charts.
- Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé remains a favorite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, scheduled for October 26 in London. Despite finishing the season without major team trophies, Mbappé maintains his individual performance makes him a top contender.
- Mbappé argues the award honors individual excellence, noting he finished as top scorer in the Champions League, La Liga, and the World Cup. He scored 25 league goals, struck 15 times in the Champions League, and added 10 at the World Cup.
- The 27-year-old faces stiff competition from players who combined individual form with silverware, including Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane. Lionel Messi also remains in contention due to his performances for Argentina.
- Off the pitch, the striker ended a 20-year relationship with Nike to sign with On as a global ambassador. Mbappé will work with the Swiss-based company's product teams on footwear, including robotic 'Lightspray' technology.
- "Individual performance and memorable moments are what people notice in an award like this," Mbappé said. Regardless of the October result, he prepares for a new cycle with the national team under head coach Zinedine Zidane.
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23 Articles
‘Every player wants to win it’: Kylian Mbappé eyes first Ballon d’Or award
By Ben Church, Amanda Davies, Aleks Klosok, CNN (CNN) — Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé says there is no “frustration” over not yet winning a Ballon d’Or – an annual award given to the world’s best player – but tells CNN Sports that this “could be a good year for me”. Mbappé did not win any
2026 Ballon d'Or: What will happen if I don't win it
Real Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappe, has admitted he would be disappointed not to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Mbappe has been included among the final 30 nominees for the award and is regarded as one of the favourites to win it. However, the France captain is facing strong competition from the likes of Lamine Yamal, […] 2026 Ballon d’Or: What will happen if I don’t win it – Mbappe
Kylian Mbappé enters the new battle for the Ballon d'Or knowing that he has had a great season, but without this award becoming his obsession. "It's the goal of every footballer, but is it an obsession? No, I don't think so," explains the Real Madrid striker, who also discussed many interesting things in an interview with French radio station RFI.
In an interview with RFI Kylian Mbappé, racing for the Golden Ball despite a season without trophies with Real Madrid and the elimination of France in semi-finals at the World Cup, he underlined the individual nature of the prize. (ANSA)
Guest of RFI this Tuesday morning, the captain of the French team thanked Didier Deschamps and recalled his ties with Africa. But he did not return to the controversy in Spain regarding his position on Ceuta.
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