Real Madrid launch campaign to win Kylian Mbappe the Ballon d’Or

After two years of anger and estrangement, Real Madrid are making the Ballon d’Or a central priority once again, with the club preparing a major campaign to help Kylian Mbappe win the award.

The ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October, as part of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the prestigious prize. Real Madrid are expected to use their full media operation to promote Mbappe’s candidacy, placing the event above matches and training sessions in the club’s schedule.

The decision follows the continuing fallout from 2024, when Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony in protest at Vinicius Junior missing out on the award. The club’s supporters described the decision as a “scandal”.

The stance has now changed. Real Madrid, who previously refused to attend and effectively imposed a boycott, have begun discussing the case for one of their players through their official channels, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

Mbappe himself provided the initial momentum. On the eve of Real Madrid’s opening Champions League match against Inter Milan, the France forward openly addressed his prospects of winning the prize.

“I do not vote, but I made history at the most important sporting event, the World Cup, and I have a good feeling about it,” Mbappe said at a news conference.

His argument is supported by a significant statistical achievement. Mbappe finished the 2026 World Cup as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, with 22 goals across three appearances – a record that had never previously been reached.

However, his rivals can point to a weakness in his case. Despite becoming the competition’s record scorer, Mbappe ended the tournament in fourth place with France. His contribution in the decisive semi-final against Spain was limited to one weak shot on target, as Spain won the match before going on to lift the trophy.

A similar pattern emerged in the Champions League. Mbappe was the leading scorer in the most recent edition, finishing with 16 goals, but he was unable to make a decisive impact in the latter stages. Real Madrid were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich, with Mbappe failing to produce his usual influence in the major knockout matches.

Winning the Ballon d’Or would be the first of Mbappe’s career and the 12th awarded to a player representing Real Madrid. It would also extend the club’s record as the side to have produced the most winners.

There is, though, a historical distinction. Several of Real Madrid’s previous 11 awards – including those won by Luis Figo, Fabio Cannavaro, Ricardo Kaka, Michael Owen and Zinedine Zidane – followed achievements with other clubs or came in seasons when the winners’ success was not directly tied to Real Madrid’s own performances.

The club now wants Mbappe’s award to be different: a 12th Ballon d’Or built around his achievements in the Real Madrid shirt and secured through a coordinated campaign involving both player and club.