Mbappe Pushes Hard for Ballon d'Or Despite a Season Without Trophies

Kylian Mbappe is not the bookmakers' favourite, and he was not last season's top scorer in every competition, yet he has done everything possible to promote his case for the Ballon d'Or ahead of Monday's ceremony in London. The prize carries no cash award, but it raises a player's value and status.

The 2025-26 season, which the award covers, ended with no trophy for Mbappe at club or international level. What he can point to instead is a set of individual records, which he hopes will finally earn him the honour.

His strongest argument comes from the 2026 World Cup in North America. Mbappe won the Golden Boot for the second tournament in a row and became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, with 22 goals in 22 matches. Lionel Messi is second on 21, and former Germany international Miroslav Klose is third on 16. "Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out," Mbappe said last month. Asked who he was voting for, he replied: "Myself."

His club form was also strong. Mbappe scored 25 goals to finish as La Liga's top scorer and netted 15 in the Champions League, where he also led the scoring charts. "I was top scorer in all the biggest competitions, and I think that this could be a good year for me, and I really feel it," the former PSG forward said.

The weakness in his bid is the lack of silverware. Real Madrid had a turbulent campaign, first under Xabi Alonso and then under Alvaro Arbeloa. They finished second in La Liga and lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, extending their run without a major trophy to a second straight season. France placed fourth at the World Cup, losing to Spain in the semifinals and to England in the third-place playoff.

Rival contenders fared better. Lamine Yamal won the World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona, while Bayern's Harry Kane collected three trophies last term, including the Bundesliga title.

Mbappe appears unconcerned. "They won't announce a team in the envelope; they will announce a player," he told the radio station RFI. He added that the ability to perform individually and produce eye-catching moments is what stands out to people for an award of this kind. His club manager, Jose Mourinho, has backed him as well. "We know who has made history this summer, and he's not from PSG or the Spanish national team," Mourinho said.

History is not on his side. Over the past decade, every Ballon d'Or winner lifted at least one trophy in the year of the award. Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner, helped PSG to their first Champions League title, and Rodri won Euro 2024 with Spain and the Premier League with Manchester City before being named the winner two years ago.

There is one precedent for Mbappe's situation. The last winner without a major trophy was Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid in 2013, who won his second Ballon d'Or and ended Messi's four-year winning streak. Ronaldo scored 66 goals for club and country that season, while Portugal failed to progress beyond the 2012 World Cup playoffs and Real were league runners-up. The result suggests Mbappe still has a slim chance, and after nine nominations and a third-place finish in 2023, many would say his moment is long overdue.