Courtois picks Mbappé and rules out Lamine for the Ballon d'Or

In the early hours of October 25, while the classic between Barcelona and Real Madrid resonated on Onda Cero's microphones, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois announced that his vote for the Ballon d'Or, which will be presented on October 26 at the London Palladium, goes to Kylian Mbappé.

Courtois distanced himself from Lamine Yamal's campaign, stating that the award should not be measured by the number of titles won. The Belgian goalkeeper recalled that he already possesses several trophies with Real Madrid, but insists that the criterion should be individual performance.

Lamine Yamal, for his part, continues to claim the prize, asserting that it belongs to him. On the Polymarket platform, his probability rose from 28 % to 45 %, even surpassing Harry Kane in the forecasts.

Courtois chooses Mbappé as favorite

In the interview with Onda Cero, Courtois declared that his vote goes to Kylian Mbappé, teammate of Real Madrid. He acknowledged that the shortlist is tight and included Harry Kane among the contenders, but stated that for him there is a clear favorite.

“Mbappé and Lamine Yamal are fine. Harry Kane will also be there, so it’s a prize that’s too open. But for me there is a favorite,” Courtois said.

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“The Ballon d'Or for me should be for Mbappé. The award should go to whoever has been the best player in the world this year, not necessarily to whoever won the most trophies, otherwise Dani Carvajal would have received it in 2024,” Courtois explained. He added that the number of titles should not be the decisive factor.

In 2024, Dani Carvajal won LaLiga, the Champions League and the Euro Cup with Spain, but the award went to Rodri. That year, Real Madrid did not attend the Paris gala and argued that if the criteria did not favor Vinícius, they should have given it to Carvajal for his record.

Mbappé had warned in September that 2024 could be his year to claim the Ballon d'Or, and he reached the final stretch as a strong favorite in the nomination ranking. His position was consolidated when analysts placed him as the undisputed leader before the voting closed.

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Last duel before the gala in London

The classic between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be contested on October 25, a day before the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium. That match will be the last face-to-face between the two contenders before the winner is known, with Courtois in goal and already aligned with Mbappé.