Soccer fans love a good argument. Few topics spark more heat than the question of who is the best player in the world right now. Every year, the debate returns and grows louder than before.
The Ballon d’Or sits at the center of that debate. It is often seen as soccer’s top individual prize. Winning it can truly change how a player is remembered long after the final whistle blows.
Two legends now disagree about this year’s winner. Their split is much more than a quick soundbite for the cameras. It shows how fans and experts weigh talent, trophies, and timing in very different ways.
Two legends pick two different winners
Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not hesitate when ESPN asked for his Ballon d’Or pick at the FC 27 launch in New York. He answered with one word. “Yamal.” Thierry Henry chose Madrid star Kylian Mbappé instead.
Henry also called Michael Olise close behind his choice. That left Yamal outside his top two. The split quickly turned a normal interview moment into a big headline for soccer fans all around the world.
Both men are respected soccer voices on television. Neither one is shy about sharing a bold opinion on camera. When two strong personalities disagree, viewers pay very close attention to every single word that follows.
Henry builds his case for Mbappé
Henry works beside Zlatan as a Fox Sports pundit. He says Mbappé leads the scoring charts in the Champions League, La Liga and the World Cup. Olise, he adds, matches that level in assists too.
Henry also expected pushback. Critics say Mbappé won nothing as a team this season. His answer was simple. History has seen award winners without trophies before, so he asks people to check the record first.
Henry stressed that the field is deep. He said, “There are a lot of people that are candidates, and they’re not like Mickey Mouse candidates.” He sees real quality across the board and still lands firmly on Mbappé. Olise stays very close behind.
Zlatan backs the teenage star from Barcelona
Yamal is only 19 years old, and he scored 25 goals in total for Barcelona and Spain across the 2025-26 season. That is a huge total for a teenager. Zlatan clearly liked what he saw.
Yamal became the youngest player to score against England at Wembley in a competitive match. He was 19 years and 75 days old when he did it. The old record was set by Patrick Kluivert in 1996.
Last year, Yamal finished second to Ousmane Dembélé. Dembélé earned 1,380 points while Yamal collected 1,059. Zlatan clearly believes that the gap has closed and that the teenager is now ready to win the prize.
Henry knows the pain of falling short
Henry finished second in 2003 and third in 2006. Pavel Nedvěd won the trophy in 2003. Fabio Cannavaro took it in 2006 after Italy won the World Cup, and Henry missed out on both occasions.
Henry never won the Ballon d’Or. He is often cited as one of the best players to miss out on it. That experience gives him deep respect for the award and a clear view of its flaws.
So Henry understands how a great season can still fall short. His backing of Mbappé shows he values individual numbers. Zlatan sees the same debate through a different lens, one shaped by his own story.
Why Zlatan knows Ballon d’Or heartbreak
Zlatan never won the award. His best finish came in 2013 when he placed fourth. He earned just 5.29% of the vote that year, which was not nearly enough to reach the podium at all.
He once told a German outlet that these awards are political. In his view, many voters prefer a perfect image and a quiet personality. Outspoken stars like him, he suggested, often get overlooked every year.
That outlook may help explain his pick for this year’s award. Yamal plays with flair and talks with confidence. Zlatan has lived through the voting game and clearly enjoys players who follow their own rules.
Little-known fact: The Swedish Language Council added “zlatanera,” meaning to dominate, to its new words list for 2012. The word began as a joke on a French satirical TV show, then crossed into Swedish.
Mbappé’s World Cup record strengthens Henry’s pick
Mbappé scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup and won the Golden Boot. He also reached 22 career World Cup goals. That moved him past Lionel Messi, who finished the tournament with 21 goals.
It was his second Golden Boot in a row after winning it in 2022. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, while Messi finished 2 goals behind Mbappé in the Golden Boot race.
Henry’s case leans on moments like these. Critics will point to team success instead. France played in the third-place game while Spain lifted the trophy, and that gap fuels the whole argument for fans.
How Ballon d’Or votes really work
A jury of 100 journalists from top-ranked nations votes on the Ballon d’Or. Each one lists a top 10. A first-place vote earns 15 points, and every lower spot on the list earns fewer points.
The jury cast its ballots before midnight on Sept. 28. That means the Zlatan and Henry comments came after the voting window closed. They cannot sway a single ballot, so the picks are pure opinion.
Pundit debates still matter for public conversation. Fans love to argue about who deserves the trophy. That is why a one-word answer can echo for days and fill talk shows and social feeds everywhere.
London waits for the final verdict
The 2026 ceremony takes place on Monday, Oct. 26, at the London Palladium Theatre. It marks the first time the event will be held in London. The award also celebrates its 70th anniversary, which adds extra weight.
London was chosen to honor Stanley Matthews, the very first winner. France Football launched the award in 1956. The choice of host city pays tribute to that great English star 7 decades later.
Until then, the debate rolls on. Will Yamal, Mbappé, Kane, or someone else take home the trophy? Zlatan and Henry will surely be watching closely, just like the rest of us, on that big night.
TL;DR
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic picked Lamine Yamal, while Thierry Henry picked Kylian Mbappé.
- Henry’s case rests on individual numbers, and Mbappé’s World Cup record backs it up.
- Zlatan and Henry both know what it is like to miss out on the award.
- The winner will be announced on Oct. 26 at the London Palladium Theatre.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
