France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe continued his push to win the Ballon d’Or by insisting on Tuesday that he feels confident he will claim the prestigious award.
The 27-year-old was the top scorer at the World Cup in the summer and both last season’s Champions League and La Liga.
But he won nothing as France lost in the World Cup semi-finals.
His club side, Real Madrid, finished second in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
“They won’t announce a team in the envelope; they will announce a player,” Mbappe told RFI radio station.
“The ability to perform individually and produce eye-catching moments—that’s what stands out to people for an award like this.
“I was top scorer in all the biggest competitions, and I think that this could be a good year for me, and I really feel it.”
The former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain player scored 25 La Liga goals last season, 15 in the Champions League and another 10 at the World Cup, enabling him to become the all-time leading goalscorer in the tournament, with 22 strikes in total.
But he faces tough competition for the Ballon d’Or, particularly from players who enjoyed success with their club or country in 2026.
2025 Ballon d’Or winner Rodrigo Hernandez captained the Spain team to win the 2026 World Cup.
Spanish pair Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup; PSG duo Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won the French Ligue 1 and the Champions League, while Harry Kane was a Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich.
On September 17, 2026, PUNCH Online reported that Mbappé made it clear that he wants the Ballon d’Or to return to Real Madrid, as he expressed his desire to give Madridistas another reason to celebrate.
Speaking to Diario AS, the French forward said he hopes the prestigious individual award can make its way back to the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in London on October 26.
