Mbappé speaks on the 2026 Ballon d’Or race
Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid and France forward, discussed the 2026 Ballon d’Or race in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS, published in September 2026. He addressed his closest rival for the award, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, before making his own case for the trophy.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded each year by France Football to the player judged the best in the world. Mbappé and Yamal both rank among the top contenders for the 2026 edition, which covers the season that ended in July 2026.
Mbappé praises Yamal but wants Madrid to win
Mbappé described Yamal as a very talented player with a bright career ahead and said he wished him well as well as his family. He avoided direct criticism of the 19-year-old, choosing instead to focus on his own credentials for the award.
Mbappé then argued that this is a good year for him personally to win the Ballon d’Or. He said his performances on the field make the strongest case, rather than anything he could say in an interview.
Mbappé wants the trophy back at the Bernabéu
Mbappé said the most important outcome for him is that the Ballon d’Or returns to Real Madrid this year. He added that the trophy should come back to the Santiago Bernabéu and to the club’s fans, who he said deserve it.
Real Madrid have not produced a Ballon d’Or winner since Karim Benzema in 2022. Mbappé has finished as Real Madrid’s top individual scorer in each of his 2 seasons at the club since joining in 2024.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony moves to London
France Football will present the 2026 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London on October 26, 2026. It marks the 70th edition of the award and the first time it has been held outside Paris since 2019.
The London venue honors the 70th anniversary of Stanley Matthews winning the first Ballon d’Or in 1956. The women’s award, the Kopa Trophy, the Yashin Trophy, and Coach of the Year will also be presented that night.
Yamal and Mbappé headline a 30-man shortlist
France Football named its 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or on September 8, 2026. Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé are widely seen as the leading contenders alongside defending champion Ousmane Dembélé.
Lionel Messi was nominated for the first time since 2023, when he won his eighth Ballon d’Or. Paris Saint-Germain placed 10 players on the list, more than any other club, ahead of La Liga’s 7 nominees.
Mbappé tops scoring as Real Madrid miss title
Mbappé finished the 2025-26 La Liga season as its top scorer with 25 goals, winning the Pichichi Trophy for a second straight year. He reached the milestone in 31 appearances, continuing the form that brought him 31 league goals the season before.
Despite his tally, Real Madrid did not win the league. Barcelona secured the 2025-26 title on May 10, 2026, beating Real Madrid 2-0 in that season’s Clásico to clinch it with 3 matches to spare.
Yamal named La Liga’s top player this season
Barcelona claimed their 29th La Liga title in 2025-26, a second straight championship after winning the 2024-25 season. Lamine Yamal was named the league’s Best Player for the campaign, a separate honor from the top scorer award.
Yamal turned 19 during the season and has now won back-to-back La Liga titles with his boyhood club. His individual recognition adds another data point to his growing Ballon d’Or resume.
Spain beat Argentina to win the 2026 World Cup
Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, 2026, defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute to secure Spain’s second world title.
It was Spain’s first World Cup win since 2010 and ended Lionel Messi’s bid for a second title with Argentina. Yamal became the youngest player in history to win both the World Cup and the European Championship, doing so days after turning 19.
Fun fact: Lamine Yamal wears the No. 10 for FC Barcelona because he inherited the iconic shirt, but he keeps the No. 19 for Spain because Dani Olmo already holds the No. 10 jersey for the national team.
Yamal’s dribbling led the 2026 World Cup field
Yamal completed 35 dribbles across the 2026 World Cup, the most of any player in the tournament. Mbappé ranked second with 28, ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi with 25 and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior with 23.
Yamal scored once in the tournament but was credited with helping Spain concede just once across 8 games. His performances contributed to a run that included wins over France in the semifinal and Argentina in the final.
Spain eliminates Mbappé’s France in semifinal
Spain eliminated France 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup semifinal on July 14, 2026, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. It was France’s heaviest knockout stage defeat at a World Cup since 1986.
Mbappé failed to register a shot on target in the loss and later called France’s performance too sloppy. Spain has now eliminated France in 3 straight major tournaments, including Euro 2024 and the 2025 Nations League.
Mbappé still wins 2026 World Cup Golden Boot
France beat England 6-4 in the 3rd-place match in Miami on July 18, 2026, with Mbappé scoring twice to reach 10 goals for the tournament. The result gave him the 2026 Golden Boot outright, ahead of Lionel Messi.
Mbappé’s tournament goals lifted his career World Cup total to 22, making him the competition’s all-time leading scorer. He became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot at 2 different tournaments.
Real Madrid finish 2025-26 without a trophy
Real Madrid finished 2025-26 without the La Liga title or the Champions League after losing out to Barcelona domestically. In Europe, Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal on penalties in the May 30, 2026 final in Budapest to retain the trophy.
Mbappé’s individual scoring record came without a team trophy to support his Ballon d’Or case this year. Real Madrid and Barcelona remain tied for the most Ballon d’Or wins in history with 12 apiece.
Mbappé’s commitment to France extends beyond his performances on the field. Explore why Kylian Mbappé gives away every cent he earns from France.
How the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner gets chosen
The Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury of specialized journalists, with 1 voter from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Each voter ranks 10 players from the 30-man shortlist, awarding 15 points to their first choice, followed by 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 points.
Dembélé enters as the defending champion after winning the 2025 award, while Yamal won the Kopa Trophy that year. The 2026 winner will be revealed at the London ceremony on October 26.
The World Cup has brought out a deeply personal side of Mbappé. Check out how Kylian Mbappé opens up in an emotional World Cup statement, revealing what he had to say.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
Read More From This Brand:
