Jose Mourinho backs Kylian Mbappe for Ballon d’Or

Jose Mourinho believes Kylian Mbappe should win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, even though the Real Madrid star did not lift a major trophy last season.

The Real Madrid manager said the award should go to the best player in the world, not simply the player who won the Champions League or World Cup.

Mourinho pointed to Mbappe’s individual numbers and influence. The France captain finished last season as top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, and he also became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history this summer. Mourinho said that kind of output deserves recognition on its own.

He also argued that football’s greatest names were never defined by trophies alone, naming Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane as examples. For Mourinho, Mbappe belongs in that same conversation because of the level he has maintained and the records he has broken.

Mbappe strengthened his case again with a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad, a reminder that his form remains elite.