Rio Mavuba backs Mbappé for 2026 Ballon d’Or on Téléfoot
On Sunday morning Rio Mavuba stepped onto the Téléfoot set and broke the usual deadlock surrounding the Ballon d’Or, declaring that the France Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé sits at the summit of his personal ranking for the 2026 award among the elite contenders.
While acknowledging the official criteria and the merits of other leading candidates, the former international midfielder highlighted the statistical impact and regularity of the Real Madrid forward. He argued that these factors outweigh other considerations in his hierarchy.
Mavuba's reasoning
When pressed on the Téléfoot studio, Mavuba explained his thought process, saying:
« C’est toujours un sujet clivant où personne n’est vraiment unanime. Moi, j’essaye de relire les critères. Je me dis que Dembélé, on ne peut pas l’effacer. Il est décisif dans les grands moments. Il a gagné la Ligue des champions. Après, si on me dit le meilleur joueur actuellement, c’est Lamine Yamal. Mais sur la saison, je pense qu’un Harry Kane ou un Kylian Mbappé mérite ce Ballon d’Or 2026. Ils ont marqué beaucoup de buts, ils ont été performants. Harry Kane a en plus gagné des trophées. Si je dois trancher, je pense que je le donnerais à Kylian Mbappé pour ses performances individuelles. »
He noted that the debate remains polarising, with no unanimous view among experts.
Papin puts Harry Kane ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the Ballon d’Or
He cited Ousmane Dembélé’s decisive moments and Champions League triumph as noteworthy but not decisive for the award. Mavuba added that, while Lamine Yamal shines as the current best player, the season’s top performers in his eyes are Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, both prolific goal‑scorers.
Ballon d’Or 2026 landscape
Mavuba’s preference for Mbappé rests on the striker’s impressive tally of goals across La Liga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup, coupled with consistent performances. He contrasted this with Kane’s double‑goal haul for Bayern and Yamal’s World Cup win with Spain at nineteen, arguing the former’s individual output merits the honour.
Mbappé rushes to London, joins Dembélé before the Ballon d’Or
The official decision for the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will be announced live on Monday evening from London. Mavuba’s selection joins a growing chorus of pundits who champion pure statistical excellence over collective achievements.