Ballon d’Or: Thomas Muller backs Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe over Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal

Thomas Muller has named Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe as the two players who impressed him most during the 2025-2026 season in the race for the Ballon d’Or.

The Germany legend revealed his choices in his monthly newsletter, according to Tribuna, leaving out Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal, two of the most prominent names widely discussed among the award’s leading contenders.

Muller highlighted Olise and Mbappe for the quality of their individual performances, particularly their ability to combine creativity, attacking threat and goalscoring.

“For me, there are two candidates who impressed me more than anyone else with their individual performances: Michael Olise and his ideal partner at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe,” Muller wrote.

The 37-year-old believes both players possess the qualities required to be recognised as the best in the world.

“They both combine enjoyment and excitement with a real danger in front of goal,” he added. “In the detail of their play, they manage to be effective through skill and strength. At the same time, they make everything look remarkably easy. For me, these are the characteristics of a player who can win the award for the best player in the world. It only needs a touch of magic.”

Olise enjoyed a successful season with Bayern Munich, winning the domestic double alongside Kane. However, his goalscoring figures were significantly lower than those of the England striker.

Mbappe, meanwhile, did not win a major trophy with Real Madrid during the previous season. France’s World Cup campaign also ended in the semi-finals, where they were beaten by Spain, who went on to win the tournament.

Kane finished the assessment period as the leading goalscorer among the players competing for the award, having scored 73 goals for club and country.

Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona and also lifted the World Cup with Spain, achievements that placed him among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or. Despite those successes, Muller did not include either Yamal or Kane among his preferred candidates.

His selections instead place the focus on the individual impact of Olise and Mbappe, rather than the number of trophies or goals accumulated during the season.