Kane, Mbappe and Yamal deliver contrasting responses after Ballon d’Or ceremony

One week after the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the performances of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal have offered sharply different answers to the question of how the event affected the three leading players.

Kane, Bayern Munich’s forward, won the award at Monday’s ceremony in London. Real Madrid striker Mbappe finished second, while Barcelona winger Yamal was third.

Since then, each player has made one competitive appearance, with Yamal producing the standout display and Kane struggling to make a significant impact.

Kane makes a quiet return

Bayern Munich played Magdeburg in the German Cup two days after the ceremony, winning 6-1. Kane remained an unused substitute throughout, with manager Vincent Kompany opting to rest him following the Ballon d’Or event.

He returned to the starting line-up on Saturday for Bayern’s Bundesliga meeting with Borussia Dortmund. The match at Bayern ended in a 2-2 draw, with Kane failing to score but creating his side’s second goal for Dayot Upamecano in the 66th minute.

The England captain had a relatively subdued game and was awarded a rating of 6.5 out of 10 by Sofascore.

Mbappe scores amid penalty debate

Real Madrid had only one match after the ceremony, travelling to face Racing Santander in La Liga and securing a 3-0 victory.

Mbappe opened the scoring from the penalty spot after winning the kick himself. The decision prompted considerable debate, however, with more than one refereeing expert arguing that the penalty should not have been awarded.

The forward made no mistake from 12 yards, taking his tally to 12 goals in 11 La Liga appearances and 15 goals in 14 matches in all competitions this season.

Mbappe played the full match and was a constant threat. Sofascore gave him a rating of 8.3, the joint-third highest score in the game alongside Huijsen. Arda Guler led the ratings with 8.7, followed by Bellingham on 8.4.

Yamal produces perfect display

Barcelona also played once after the Ballon d’Or ceremony, hosting Deportivo Alaves in La Liga on Saturday.

Yamal played 74 minutes and made a decisive contribution to a 6-1 victory. He scored in the 45+1st and 64th minutes, while also setting up Fermin Lopez for Barcelona’s first goal in the 23rd minute.

His performance suggested the teenager had not been affected by missing out on the award and finishing behind Kane and Mbappe. Sofascore gave Yamal a perfect 10 out of 10 for his display.

The week therefore produced an outcome almost opposite to the ceremony’s final standings. Yamal, who had been disappointed to finish third, delivered the most impressive performance. Mbappe, the runner-up, also played well, although he did not match Yamal’s level.

Kane, the happiest of the three after fulfilling his ambition of winning the Ballon d’Or, made the least impact and received the lowest rating of the trio.