Real Madrid’s belief fuels Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or hopes in London
The Ballon d’Or gala will be staged in London this weekend, with four players in contention. Inside the Real Madrid dressing room, the consensus is that French forward Kylian Mbappe should lift the award, a belief bolstered by his recent performances and the confidence of his teammates.
Pre‑award chatter
Talk has swirled around Lamine Yamal after his poor showing against Real Madrid last night, yet he remains one of the favourites alongside Bayern Munich star Harry Kane. Rodri and Kylian Mbappe were always regarded as dark horses, with Mbappe lacking any silverware to support his candidacy despite his astonishing individual numbers.
Mbappe’s individual résumé
Mbappe entered the ceremony as the all‑time leading scorer in World Cup history, having reached 22 goals this summer. He also finished as top scorer in both the Champions League and La Liga, and his double in the 2‑1 El Clasico win over Barcelona reinforced the view that he has been the most decisive player worldwide over the past year.
Locker‑room confidence
A recent report from The Athletic reiterated that the Real Madrid locker room is confident Mbappe will win the Ballon d’Or this evening. The feeling among the squad is that the Frenchman will walk away with the award, a belief that has not wavered after his Clasico heroics. Even club president Florentino Perez is skipping the event, a possible indicator of the team’s optimism.
Lamine Yamal and rivals force Ballon d'Or tie‑break plan
Despite the optimism, the odds may be stacked against Mbappe. He ended last season without a single major trophy, a factor that historically weighs heavily in Ballon d’Or voting. The award has often favoured players who lifted the biggest honours, as illustrated by Rodri’s win over Vinicius in 2024, and both Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal have stronger collective achievements this time around.
Harry Kane, the 33‑year‑old Bayern Munich striker, makes a compelling case. He has amassed 73 goals for club and country, and his 36 goals in 31 league games place him alongside legends such as Gerd Müller and Robert Lewandowski, the only players to have bettered that tally in a Bundesliga season.
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The ceremony will conclude tonight, leaving the final decision to the voters. Whether Real Madrid’s belief proves decisive or the historical bias towards trophy‑laden players prevails, the world will watch as the Ballon d’Or is finally awarded.