José Mourinho has thrown his support behind Kylian Mbappé to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the Real Madrid manager arguing that the award should recognise the best individual player in the world rather than simply going to someone who lifted the Champions League or World Cup.Mourinho made the case for his own striker ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Málaga on Sunday, pointing to Mbappé’s remarkable individual year and, in particular, the history he made with France at the World Cup. The comments also put Mbappé ahead of several leading contenders from Paris Saint-Germain and Spain in Mourinho’s assessment of who truly deserves the prize.The Ballon d’Or is generally judged on three broad criteria: individual performance, team achievements, and class and fair play. Individual performance covers a player’s goals, assists, influence and consistency; team achievements consider major club and international trophies, as well as the player’s contribution to them; and class and fair play include sportsmanship, conduct and public image.
Mourinho: Mbappé has already made history
Mourinho believes Mbappé has a particularly strong claim because of what he achieved individually this summer, even though France did not win the World Cup.“For me, there is one who, individually, made history this summer,” Mourinho said, referring to Mbappé becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.The France captain finished last season as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League before taking that scoring form onto the international stage. He also scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Wednesday, giving him an immediate boost as the new campaign gets underway.Mbappé’s 2025-26 season was already extraordinary before the World Cup. He scored 43 goals in 47 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions and finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.His World Cup campaign strengthened his case further, with 10 goals in eight appearances making him the tournament’s leading scorer and taking him to the top of the World Cup’s all-time scoring charts.Those numbers place Mbappé strongly under the individual-performance criterion, which rewards sustained excellence, attacking output and a player’s overall influence throughout the season.
Real Madrid’s Bernardo Silva, left, and Kylian Mbappe celebrate after scoring during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Mourinho’s argument: the Ballon d’Or should not simply follow trophies
Mbappé’s biggest problem in the Ballon d’Or race is that, despite his individual numbers, he did not win a major trophy last season, while some of his rivals played starring roles in teams that lifted the biggest prizes.Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League, while Spain won the World Cup, putting players such as PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, along with Spain midfielder Rodri, firmly into the conversation.Mourinho, however, does not believe winning those competitions should automatically decide the award.“The best players in the world, there are two, three or four of them, and we know who they are: they’re here,” the Real Madrid manager said, indicating that several of the leading candidates are part of his squad.“You cannot give the Ballon d’Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup,” he added.Mourinho framed the award as something that should recognise players whose individual greatness lasts well beyond the trophies they collect during their careers.“The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, we miss them for eternity. Maradona, Cristiano, Messi, R9, Zidane… You can’t give the Ballon d’Or to a guy just for winning the UCL or the World Cup.”The Real Madrid manager then took the argument a step further, suggesting that if the award were simply about rewarding the winners of those competitions, then the coaches responsible for those victories would deserve recognition instead.“If we want to reward the Champions League, then give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to [Luis] De la Fuente. The best player in the world is something else and he is neither at PSG nor in the Spain team.”Team achievements remain an important part of the award’s criteria, but Mourinho’s position is that collective success should be weighed alongside a player’s personal contribution rather than used as an automatic shortcut to victory.
Mbappé faces a strong field
Mbappé is expected to be among the leading names when the 30-player Ballon d’Or shortlist is announced, although he faces competition from several stars who can point to major trophies as part of their cases.Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia have the Champions League title with PSG behind them, while Rodri was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning side. England striker Harry Kane is another major contender after his prolific campaign.Mourinho’s own squad also gives him several players who could feature prominently in the voting. Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham are both expected to be in contention alongside Mbappé, meaning Real Madrid could have multiple representatives near the top of the rankings.The third criterion, class and fair play, can also influence how a candidate is viewed. It includes a player’s behaviour on the pitch, relationship with opponents and officials, conduct away from football and wider public image. Mbappé’s leadership as France captain and his standing as one of the sport’s most prominent figures will form part of the broader discussion around his candidacy.
Mbappé has never won the Ballon d’Or
A victory would also give Mbappé the individual honour that has so far eluded him despite spending years among the world’s elite.The Frenchman has consistently featured in Ballon d’Or discussions but has never claimed the prize, and his 2025-26 campaign gave him perhaps his strongest case yet.Now, after finishing as the leading scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, he enters this year’s race with Mourinho publicly arguing that those individual achievements should outweigh the trophies won by his rivals.Real Madrid host Málaga on Sunday as Mourinho’s side look for a third consecutive victory to begin their La Liga campaign, with Mbappé arriving into the match fresh from his hat-trick against Real Sociedad and firmly at the centre of the Ballon d’Or conversation.
