Mbappé pitches individual brilliance as key to Ballon d'Or hopes

On Tuesday, Kylian Mbappé sat down with RFI to outline why he sees himself as a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or, despite a season at Real Madrid that ended without any trophies and France’s exit in the World Cup semi‑final.

Individual merit over team success

Mbappé stressed that the award recognises a player’s ability to “dazzle”, insisting that “they will not announce a team inside the envelope, they will announce a player”. He argued that personal performance, not silverware, defines the prize.

He added, “I was the top scorer in all the major competitions and I think it could be a good year for me”, underscoring his belief that individual statistics carry weight.

Scoring record fuels the campaign

During the previous season Mbappé led the Spanish league with 25 goals and topped the Champions League tally with 15, while also netting 10 at the 2026 World Cup, making him the tournament’s all‑time leading scorer with 22 goals across three editions.

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His main rivals are fellow Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé, last year’s winner, and Argentine legend Lionel Messi, who was a finalist at the North‑American World Cup.

Mbappé warned that missing out would be a “great disappointment”, saying a loss would hurt his competitive spirit but that he would accept the outcome.

He also reflected on his personal philosophy, noting he never tries to be anyone else and aims to stay true to his own strengths and flaws.

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The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for 26 October in London, where Mbappé hopes to lift the trophy and dedicate it to his African roots, saying he would “return with the Ballon d'Or and, in some way, give it back to them”.