Thierry Henry backs Kylian Mbappe for 2026 Ballon d’Or

Thierry Henry has named Kylian Mbappe as his leading candidate to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, despite acknowledging that the Real Madrid forward has been criticised for not winning a major team trophy.

France Football revealed its 30-player shortlist for the award on Tuesday, with Mbappe included among the nominees. The France captain has received the public backing of Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward.

“If he had won the World Cup, I think Lionel Messi would have won the Ballon d’Or,” Henry told Foot Mercato. “Michael Olise would not have been far behind him. But Kylian Mbappe is my favourite.”

Mbappe’s credentials have been questioned by some because, according to Henry, he has not won a trophy during the period under consideration. However, the former France international argued that a player’s individual achievements should not be overlooked.

“Some people will tell me that he has not won anything,” Henry said. “I think some people need to look a little harder to discover that some Ballon d’Or winners did not win anything in the year before they received the award.”

Henry said Mbappe’s scoring record put him ahead of the competition, while also singling out Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise as a strong contender.

“For me, Kylian is the best,” he added. “When you look at what he has achieved individually: top scorer in the Champions League, top scorer in La Liga, top scorer at the World Cup… Olise has the same achievement in terms of assists. It is remarkable. I would choose Kylian, with Michael Olise close behind him.”

The shortlist includes players from some of Europe’s leading clubs, along with Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Julian Quinones of Al-Qadsiah.

The 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or are:

– Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England) – Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain) – Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, Spain) – Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain, France) – Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich, Colombia) – Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal) – Gabriel (Arsenal, Brazil) – Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway) – Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco) – Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England) – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia) – Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain) – Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr, Senegal) – Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil) – Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina) – Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France) – Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal) – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina) – Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal) – Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France) – Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador) – Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah, Mexico) – Declan Rice (Arsenal, England) – Rodri (Manchester City, Spain) – Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain) – William Saliba (Arsenal, France) – Ferran Torres (Barcelona, Spain) – Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France) – Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil) – Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)

Mbappe is one of three Real Madrid players on the list, alongside Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. Paris Saint-Germain have the largest representation, with several members of their squad nominated, including Dembele, Hakimi, Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Mendes, Neves, Pacho, Ruiz and Vitinha.