Neither Kane nor Yamal – Müller backs Olise and Mbappé

Thomas Müller, 37, presented his personal Ballon d’Or pick in his newsletter, causing a stir. Instead of the expected names Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal, the former Bayern star named Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé as his favorites. Yamal, although not in focus, remains a candidate, but the decision is surprising because both players are not among the usual trophy collectors.

Kane finds no place in Müller's personal selection – even though both still played together for Bayern. The Englishman looks back on an extremely successful season, winning the national double with the Munich club and scoring numerous goals during the evaluation period. Barcelona star Yamal also counts among the prominent contenders after his successes with club and national team. Neither Harry Kane nor Lamine Yamal belong to his preferred duo.

Müller's Favorites: Olise and Mbappé

Olise is still well known to the former DFB star from his time at FC Bayern. The winger developed in Munich into one of the most important offensive players and won the double together with Kane. For Müller, Olise combines “spectacle with goal threat”, as he emphasizes in his newsletter.

Mbappé, most recently with Real Madrid, has not won a major club title, yet Müller sees the same potential for magic on the pitch in him. The French international impresses with individual performance and goal threat, which makes him, for the 37‑year‑old world champion, one of the two candidates.

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Ballon d’Or: Date and Voting Procedure

The Ballon d’Or will be awarded on October 26. The vote is organized by “France Football”, and selected journalists from various countries are allowed to vote.

“For me there are two candidates who have impressed me the most with their individual performance,” Müller wrote. In conclusion he summed up: “It simply takes a shot of magic.”

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Müller's selection shows that he values spectacular style of play and goal‑scoring ability more than pure trophy collections in his assessment. Whether Olise or Mbappé actually win the award will be decided in a few days.