Former France captain Hugo Lloris tells Kylian Mbappe Ballon d’Or setback will make him stronger

Former France captain Hugo Lloris has backed Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or in the future, despite the Real Madrid forward finishing runner-up in this year’s voting.

The prestigious award, presented by France Football, went to England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane at a ceremony in London on Monday evening.

Mbappe finished second, with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal third.

Lloris, now a goalkeeper for Los Angeles FC, said he remained confident that his former France team-mate had the ability to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour.

“The circumstances were not favourable this time, but that will make him stronger,” Lloris told French newspaper L’Equipe. “He has everything he needs to win it one day.”

Mbappe enjoyed a prolific individual campaign. He was crowned La Liga’s leading scorer last season after scoring 25 goals and also finished as the Champions League’s top scorer with 15.

He then won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup after scoring 10 goals, taking his overall World Cup tally to 22 and making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

However, he did not win a team trophy with Real Madrid, a factor that formed part of the context around his failure to take the Ballon d’Or.

Lloris believes that disappointment should ultimately benefit the France forward as he continues his pursuit of the award.

The former France captain also offered public support to Mbappe after Kane was announced as the winner in London. Kane’s victory means the England captain claimed the prize ahead of both Mbappe and Yamal in the final standings.