Mbappé puts everything at stake for the Ballon d’Or

On October 26 the world will witness the presentation of the Ballon d’Or, the award for the best footballer on Earth. The 27‑year‑old French striker Kylian Mbappé has one absolute top favourite: himself. “I believe that writing history must always be rewarded,” he declares with conviction.

Mbappé’s credentials and ambition

It is his ninth nomination, but Mbappé has never won the award. He is the top scorer of the World Cup (10 goals), of the Champions League (15 goals) and of La Liga (25 goals). “People say I haven’t won a (team) trophy. But the Ballon d’Or is an individual trophy,” he says.

The French striker wants the Ballon d’Or to return to Real Madrid, to the Bernabéu and to the Madrid fans, who in his view “deserve more than anyone else in the world”. The last Real Madrid player to win the award was Karim Benzema in 2022, a former teammate of Mbappé on the French national team.

In interviews with the French newspaper L’Equipe and the Spanish magazine AS, Mbappé emphasizes: “No player was better than me. People talked about performances. To score so much in major competitions, where all the great players are present.”

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Beyond the Ballon: deals and statements

He adds that “the all‑time top scorer in World Cup history (22 goals) surpassing all the greatest legends in history, in the most important tournament the sport has ever produced, is breathtaking”. He continues to believe that “writing history must always be rewarded”.

Mbappé recently ended a long‑term partnership with Nike and opted for an unknown Swiss shoe brand, a move he labels as “this is only the beginning”.

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Finally he says: “I think of everyone who suffers”, while explaining why he chose not to display a Ceuta shirt, a decision that was taken very hard against him.