Ballon d’Or 2026: Can Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid and France record win it?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Kylian Mbappe has mounted a strong campaign for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the award set to be decided in London on Monday. The Real Madrid forward and France captain is not considered the bookmakers’ favorite, but he has emphasized his individual achievements as the basis for his case, despite finishing last season without a major team trophy.

The article says Mbappe’s 2025-26 season featured standout numbers for both club and country. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, he won the Golden Boot for the second straight tournament and became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. For Real Madrid, he was also La Liga’s top scorer and finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer.

Al Jazeera notes that those personal records are being weighed against a trophyless campaign for Real Madrid, who finished second in La Liga and were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. France also fell short of the title, finishing fourth at the World Cup after semifinal and third-place playoff defeats. That contrast strengthens rivals such as Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane, both of whom collected major silverware last season.

The piece places Mbappe’s bid in a broader Ballon d’Or context, saying recent winners have usually had team trophies to support their cases. It also points out that a player last won the award without a major trophy in 2013, when Cristiano Ronaldo claimed it after a prolific scoring year.