‘There’s one for me’: José Mourinho picks Kylian Mbappé for Ballon d’Or ahead of UCL and World Cup winners

Mourinho has chosen Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or, insisting that individual brilliance should outweigh major trophies/ Image: Real Madrid, AP José Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or in 2026, with the Real Madrid manager arguing the award should recognize the best individual player in the world, rather than simply going to someone who lifted the Champions League or World Cup.Mourinho defended his own striker ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Malaga on Sunday, pointing to Mbappé’s remarkable individual year and in particular the history he made with France at the World Cup. The comments also put Mbappé ahead of several leading contenders from Paris Saint-Germain and Spain in Mourinho’s assessment of who truly deserves the award.The Ballon d’Or is generally judged on three broad criteria: individual performance, team achievements and class and fair play. Individual performance includes a player’s goals, assists, influence and consistency; team achievements take into account major club and international trophies as well as the player’s contribution to them; and class and fair play include sportsmanship, behavior and public image.

Mourinho: Mbappé has already made history

Mourinho believes Mbappé has a particularly strong claim to what he has achieved individually this summer despite France not winning the World Cup.“For me there is one who has made history individually this summer,” Mourinho said, referring to Mbappé becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.The France captain finished last season as top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League before taking this scoring form to the international stage. He also scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday, giving him an immediate boost as the new campaign gets under way.Mbappé’s 2025-26 season was already extraordinary before the World Cup. He scored 43 goals in 47 games for Real Madrid in all competitions, finishing as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.His World Cup campaign went from strength to strength as 10 goals in eight games made him the tournament’s leading goalscorer and took him to the top of the all-time World Cup charts.These numbers place Mbappé well below the individual performance criterion, which rewards consistent excellence, attacking prowess and a player’s overall impact throughout the season.

Real Madrid’s Bernardo Silva, left, and Kylian Mbappe celebrate after scoring during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Mourinho’s argument: The Ballon d’Or shouldn’t just follow trophies

Mbappé’s biggest problem in the Ballon d’Or race is that, despite his individual numbers, he didn’t win a major trophy last season, while some of his rivals played major roles in the teams that lifted the biggest prizes.Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League while Spain won the World Cup, putting the likes of PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia firmly in the conversation, along with Spain midfielder Rodrigo.However, Mourinho does not believe that winning these competitions should automatically decide the award.“The best players in the world, there are two, three or four and we know who they are: they are here,” the Real Madrid manager said, hinting that several front-runners are part of his squad.“You can’t give the Ballon d’Or to a player just because he won the Champions League or the World Cup,” he added.Mourinho framed the award as something that should recognize players whose individual greatness persists far beyond the trophies they collect during their careers.“The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, we will miss forever. Maradona, Cristiano, Messi, R9, Zidane… You can’t give the Ballon d’Or to a guy just for winning the UCL or the World Cup.”The Real Madrid manager then took the argument a step further and suggested that if the prize was only about rewarding the winners of these competitions, then the coaches responsible for those victories should instead be recognized.“If we want to reward the Champions League, give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to (Luis) De la Fuente. The best player in the world is something else and he is neither in PSG nor in the Spanish team.”Team achievements remain an important part of the criteria for the award, but Mourinho’s position is that collective success should be judged alongside a player’s personal contribution and not as an automatic shortcut to victory.

Mbappé faces a strong field

Mbappé is expected to be among the leading names when the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist is announced, although he faces competition from several stars who can point to major trophies as part of their cases.Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia have both won the Champions League with PSG, while Rodri was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning team. England striker Harry Kane is another big contender after his prolific campaign.Mourinho’s own squad also gives him several players who could feature in the vote. Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham are expected to be in contention alongside Mbappé, meaning Real Madrid could have several representatives near the top of the table.The third criterion, class and fair play, can also affect how a candidate is viewed. It includes player behavior on the field, relationships with opponents and officials, behavior outside of football and the wider public image. Mbappé’s leadership as France captain and his status as one of the sport’s most iconic figures will be part of the wider debate about his candidacy.

Mbappé never won the Ballon d’Or

Victory would also give Mbappé an individual honor that has so far eluded him despite spending years among the world’s elite.The Frenchman has regularly featured in Ballon d’Or discussions but has never claimed the award, and his 2025-26 campaign gave him perhaps his strongest case yet.Now, after finishing as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup and becoming the tournament’s all-time top scorer, he enters this year’s race with Mourinho publicly arguing that those individual achievements should outweigh the trophies won by his rivals.Real Madrid host Malaga on Sunday as Mourinho’s side look for a third win in a row to open their La Liga campaign, with Mbappé coming into the game fresh from his hat-trick against Real Sociedad and firmly at the center of the Ballon d’Or conversation.