Ballon d’Or: Papin drops Mbappé for Kane
With less than fifteen days before the Ballon d’Or, the last French winner of the trophy, Jean‑Pierre Papin, said he no longer supports Kylian Mbappé, preferring Harry Kane. The former OM striker, invited on Monday evening to Live Club, voted for the English scorer during the show broadcast on France TV.
Papin criticises Mbappé's communication
Papin does not question Mbappé's sporting performances, but he believes the captain of the French national team discourse is too self‑centered. “At some point, it’s ‘me, me, me and me’,” he rebuked the Madrid native, recalling that the Ballon d’Or requires restraint. He added: “When you become Ballon d’Or, it is the others who decide.” Pascal Ferré had already warned that this media campaign could tire some jurors.
Kane, champion of the German double and prolific scorer
Harry Kane finished the 2025/26 season with sixty‑one contributions in fifty‑one matches across all competitions for Bayern Munich, including a consecutive triple of golden shoes and a national double in Germany. He also scored six goals for the Three Lions, contributing to the third place of England at the World Cup.
French favoritism fuels Mbappé's push for the 2026 Ballon d'Or
Predictions and outlook for the Ballon d’Or
Rory Jennings, analyst, predicts that the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be won by Lamine Yamal, relegating Kane to a mere mention. He notes that Yamal has scored twenty‑four goals and provided eighteen assists for FC Barcelona, before lifting the World Cup with Spain. Jennings also mentioned the upcoming laureates: Rodri in 2027 and Jude Bellingham in 2028. The voting closed on September twenty‑eight, so Papin’s stance can no longer influence the final result, but it fuels the debate ahead of the ceremony on October twenty‑six.