Kylian Mbappe says Ballon d’Or should reward individual excellence

Kylian Mbappe has insisted he is not frustrated at having never won the Ballon d’Or, while maintaining that the award should go to the player who has performed best individually.

The Real Madrid forward said he still believes he has a chance of claiming the prize, despite ending last season without a trophy. Mbappe finished fourth at the World Cup with France and did not win silverware with Real Madrid, factors that traditionally influence the award’s voting process.

Speaking to CNN Sports during a new sponsorship deal with a sportswear brand, Mbappe said: “Football is a team sport, but there are team awards to represent that collective dominance.”

He added: “When we talk about the Ballon d’Or, we give it to one player – the best player, and the person who proves that he is the best. Every major competition shows something.”

Mbappe’s main rivals for this year’s award appear to be Barcelona’s emerging star Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. Lionel Messi is also expected to win the prize for a record ninth time, largely because of his outstanding performances for Argentina at the World Cup.

Although Mbappe was unable to lead France to a second World Cup title, he made a significant impact at the tournament by scoring 10 goals and winning the Golden Boot.

The France captain said his failure to win the Ballon d’Or so far had not left him disappointed, although he acknowledged that every competitor wants to collect the biggest individual honours.

“As a competitor, you always want to win everything,” he said. “So, in the end, of course you want to win – every player wants to win – but we have to wait.”

Mbappe has repeatedly spoken in recent days about his belief that he deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. He has also been involved in a dispute with France team-mate Ousmane Dembele over the prestigious award.

The forward was also asked about France’s new era under manager Zinedine Zidane.

“This is the beginning of a new era for the national team, and we are very happy that he has joined us,” Mbappe said. “Let’s see what we can do. I think everyone expects a lot from us, and there are many lessons to learn from the team’s performances in North America this summer.”

He added: “We are one of the best teams in the world, and everyone has seen that. But we have to work on the details to become the best team in the world, and I think everyone saw that as well.”

Mbappe said the experience had been positive despite France falling short of their ambitions.

“In the end, it was a great experience for us because I think we made fans around the world happy, but we did not achieve what we wanted,” he said. “But I cannot say it was a failure.”