Kylian Mbappe Targets Ballon d'Or With 22 World Cup Goals

Kylian Mbappe is not the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or.

The French forward will present his case at Monday's ceremony in London. The award recognizes the best player of the 2025-26 season. It carries no cash prize, but it increases a player's market value and global standing.

Mbappe finished the season without a major trophy at either the club or international level. Real Madrid placed second in La Liga and lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. France finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup in North America after losing to Spain in the semifinals and England in the third-place match. This marks the second consecutive season Real Madrid has gone without a major title.

His argument rests on individual performance. Mbappe scored 22 goals in 22 matches at the World Cup to become the all-time leading scorer in the tournament's history. He surpassed Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals, and Miroslav Klose, who has 16. He won the Golden Boot for the second consecutive tournament. At the club level, he led La Liga with 25 goals and topped the Champions League scoring charts with 15.

"Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out," Mbappe said in an interview last month. When asked who he was voting for, he replied, "Myself."

Rival candidates have stronger team results. Lamine Yamal won the World Cup with Spain and the league title with Barcelona. Harry Kane won three trophies with Bayern Munich, including the Bundesliga. Mbappe argues that individual moments matter more for this specific award. "They won't announce a team in the envelope; they will announce a player," he told RFI. His manager, Jose Mourinho, also supported the bid, noting that Mbappe made history this summer.

Past winners typically hold at least one trophy. Ousmane Dembele won in 2025 after helping Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League. Rodri won the prize two years ago after winning Euro 2024 and the Premier League. The last winner without a major trophy was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013. Ronaldo scored 66 goals that season, and Portugal did not reach the 2012 World Cup final tournament. Mbappe has been nominated nine times and finished third in 2023.