French media suggest that Kylian Mbappe still stands a great chance of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, despite not winning any collective titles this past season.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or race is being viewed as one of those rare seasons without a standout candidate. According to Sports FR, Mbappe has emerged as a unique case whose individual achievements are strong enough to compete with stars such as Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, or Ousmane Dembele.
French journalist Pierre Menes noted that the Real Madrid forward holds a major advantage thanks to winning the top scorer title in La Liga, the Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup. Notably, Mbappe not only finished as the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup but also became the all-time leading goalscorer in the tournament’s history.
According to Menes, these statistics could make a strong impression on voters. He believes that achievements this year are fragmented across several candidates. Mbappe’s France teammate Dembele had a memorable season successfully defending the Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, but was not overly prominent at the World Cup. Rodri enjoyed a successful World Cup but did not particularly stand out at club level, while Messi made waves at the World Cup but is playing in Major League Soccer.
Compared to these candidates, Mbappe boasts a standout individual profile despite being unable to deliver silverware for Real Madrid or the French national team. This point of difference keeps the 27-year-old forward viewed as a serious contender. Therefore, Sports FR considers the possibility of Mbappe winning his first career Ballon d’Or to be entirely well-founded.
With no player establishing a clear lead, consistent goalscoring form across domestic, European, and World Cup competitions could prove to be the key factor helping the French star surge ahead to claim the Ballon d’Or for the first time.
