Al-Malik Surpasses Malaga to Seize Top Spot in La Liga

Real Madrid enter their match against Malaga this evening as part of the third round of the Spanish league at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with high morale, having secured a perfect record in the previous two rounds. The team will therefore seek a third consecutive victory and temporarily seize the top spot from their perennial rivals Barcelona, who lead the championship ahead of the round’s kickoff on goal difference.

For his part, Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid’s manager, 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 to the winner of the World Cup or the Champions League.

Speaking before Real Madrid’s match against Malaga, the Portuguese coach said, “The best players in the world are two, three, or four, and we know who they are: they are here.”

Mourinho added, “And 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 the Spanish league, the Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup, despite failing to win any major trophy.

Among his competitors are English striker Harry Kane, Spanish midfielder Rodri, the World Cup winner, as well as Frenchman Ousmane Dembele and Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the European champions with Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad, graced the front page of the Madrid-based sports newspaper As 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, “If we want to reward the Champions League, give it to Luis Enrique. And 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.”