Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or hopes dented by lack of major team honours

Kylian Mbappe’s prolific goalscoring season was not enough to secure the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the Real Madrid forward finishing second behind England striker Harry Kane.

Although Mbappe enjoyed an outstanding individual campaign, Spanish newspaper Marca said the deciding factor was not statistics alone. The award increasingly reflects a player’s contribution to collective success and the trophies won by his club.

Team success proves decisive

Marca noted that the three most recent Ballon d’Or winners – Rodri, Ousmane Dembele and Kane – shared one important achievement: each lifted major silverware with their club.

The newspaper argued that they also demonstrated a willingness to put the team’s interests ahead of their own, an attribute it believes helped move them ahead of Mbappe in the voting.

Mbappe led the La Liga scoring charts, finished as the Champions League’s top scorer and also impressed in front of goal at the World Cup. However, Real Madrid did not win the team honours required to strengthen his claim.

Despite being an individual prize, the Ballon d’Or has increasingly come to represent the collective side of football, according to Marca. The newspaper also pointed to the victories of Luka Modric and Karim Benzema in previous editions, when the competition was particularly open.

Goals alone could not secure award

Marca also referred to the 2025 ceremony, when Mbappe finished seventh despite winning the Golden Boot. He was placed behind players from Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Liverpool – clubs the newspaper said enjoyed stronger seasons than Real Madrid and won important trophies.

Kane’s victory in 2026 was presented as evidence that goalscoring remains only one part of the assessment. In addition to his finishing, the England forward contributes to build-up play and links effectively with his team-mates, increasing his importance within the team structure.

Mbappe did not hide his disappointment after the ceremony in London, but the 27-year-old still has time to pursue the honour again at Real Madrid.

The French forward previously finished fourth in 2018 after helping France win the World Cup. He ended that vote behind Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.

He was also considered a strong contender in 2020 after scoring 30 goals and providing 18 assists for Paris Saint-Germain. However, the award was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marca concluded that the Ballon d’Or should be viewed as a long-distance race. Mbappe’s ambition remains achievable, but he must combine his impressive personal numbers with major collective achievements at Real Madrid if he is to turn his hopes into a Ballon d’Or victory.