Kylian Mbappé: the media tour does not affect the odds

For several days, Kylian Mbappé has been giving multiple interviews to promote his candidacy for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, while English bookmakers are seeing his chances recede very notably. He highlights his record with Real Madrid and claims he deserves the trophy, but his odds have fallen by seventeen percent, leaving him in third place.

Mbappé's Odds Drop

The odds of the captain of France have dropped by seventeen percent, leaving him in third place. France Football, L’Équipe, The Athletic, AS and CNN relayed these data. Harry Kane, the thirty‑three‑year‑old Bayern Munich striker, sees his odds rise by forty‑three percent. He has scored sixty‑one goals in the league, six at the World Cup, and has won the Bundesliga.

Lamine Yamal, the nineteen‑year‑old Catalan prodigy, occupies second place but his odds have dropped by twenty‑eight percent, despite his recent performances.

The votes of one hundred journalists, from the top one hundred FIFA‑ranked countries, will close on September 28; the Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London.

The contrast between Mbappé's promotion and Kane's odds increase shows that media visibility does not guarantee bettors' confidence.