Real Madrid Pushes Hard for Mbappe's Ballon d'Or Campaign: Mourinho and Henry Back Him

Real Madrid is putting all its efforts into Mbappe's Ballon d'Or public relations campaign, even though he is not among the favorites. Spain won the World Cup, but there were no Real Madrid players in the squad, so the club has put aside national honors and is collectively backing Mbappe's bid for the Ballon d'Or.

Mbappe's situation is not looking particularly favorable.

Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are the Ballon d'Or favorites, and both won championships with their teams. Real Madrid ended the season without a trophy, and France also failed to win the World Cup. Convincing everyone that he deserves this year's Ballon d'Or is therefore more difficult for Mbappe.

However, after he was confirmed as one of the 30 nominees, some people still spoke in his favor. The main argument supporting Mbappe is that he is the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, not only for the 2026 edition but across history; he was also the Champions League top scorer last season. In terms of individual ability, he has delivered impressive results. But the Ballon d'Or has always placed great importance on winning trophies, especially in years with major international tournaments, so this campaign for Mbappe may not win much support—unless the following people can truly change opinions through their words.

Mourinho: The best player is not in Paris, nor in the Spain team

Mourinho said at the end of August: "The best players in the world, there are two, three or four of them, and we know who they are: they are here. For me, there is one person who created history on an individual level this summer. You cannot give the Ballon d'Or to a player just because he won the Champions League or the World Cup. The Ballon d'Or should go to the kind of player people will remember forever after retirement. Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane... If we want to reward the Champions League, give it to Luis Enrique; if we want to reward the Spain national team, give it to Luis de la Fuente. The world's best player is a different matter; he is neither at Paris Saint-Germain nor in the Spain team."

Mbappe has always dreamed of being mentioned alongside the names Mourinho referred to, and he has indeed moved closer to that level, but he has always lacked one—or several—of the Ballon d'Or awards that those players all possess.

Konate: I choose Mbappe

Ibrahima Konate also expressed his view: "For me, Kylian Mbappe..."