Mourinho: Mbappe deserves the Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho launched a campaign to support French star Kylian Mbappe in winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, asserting that the award should go to “the best player in the world,” not merely to the winner of the World Cup or the Champions League. Speaking to journalists ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Malaga, the Portuguese manager said, “The best players in the world—there are two, three, or four of them, and we know who they are: they are here.”

Mourinho added, “For me, there is one player who made history individually this summer,” referring to Mbappe, who became the all-time top scorer in World Cup finals during the tournament.

The French national team captain is among the contenders for the Ballon d’Or after finishing last season as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup, despite failing to win any major trophy. His main rivals include English striker Harry Kane, Spanish midfielder Rodri, the World Cup winner, as well as Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé and Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, both Champions League winners with Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad, graced the front page of the Madrid-based sports newspaper “As” on Saturday under the headline: “Mbappe Targets the Ballon d’Or.”

Mourinho stated, “The Ballon d’Or cannot be awarded to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup.” He continued, “For me, the Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players whom we will miss forever when they retire: Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazário, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane.”

“If we want to reward Champions League success, give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to Luis de la Fuente. But the best player in the world is something different, and he is not at Paris Saint-Germain nor with the Spanish national team,” he concluded.