Mbappe confident he will win 2026 Ballon d'Or despite missing trophies

Mbappe said he feels confident he will win the 2026 Ballon d’Or after a press conference at Real Madrid’s Ciudad Real Madrid training ground in Madrid on September 7, ahead of the Champions League match against Inter Milan. The 27‑year‑old pointed to being the top scorer in the 2026 World Cup, last season’s Champions League and La Liga, despite France losing in the World Cup semi‑finals and Real Madrid finishing second in La Liga and exiting the Champions League at the quarter‑final stage to Bayern Munich.

He scored 25 La Liga goals, 15 in the Champions League and another 10 at the World Cup, giving him 22 World Cup goals overall and making him the all‑time leading scorer in the tournament. Mbappe argued that individual performance and eye‑catching moments stand out more for the award than team trophies.

His main rivals for the Ballon d’Or include Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres (La Liga and World Cup winners), PSG’s Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Ligue 1 and Champions League winners), and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (Bundesliga champion).

For Nigerian football fans, Mbappe’s chase shows how individual brilliance is weighed against team success in football’s top individual honor. It also highlights the level of performance African players must reach to compete for such awards. Will Mbappe’s statistical dominance outweigh the lack of silverware when the Ballon d’Or is awarded later this year?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/09/22/mbappe-continues-media-push-for-ballon-dor-recognition/