Kylian Mbappe believes 2026 could be the year he finally claims the Ballon d’Or, with the Real Madrid forward entering the race after another prolific individual campaign.
The 27-year-old scored 42 goals in 44 appearances for Madrid last season, although the Spanish giants ended the campaign without a major trophy. Mbappe also starred for France at the World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals as Les Bleus placed fourth.
Those performances took his career World Cup total to a record 22 goals and strengthened his case for football’s biggest individual prize.
Mbappe has said playing for Real Madrid inevitably places players in the Ballon d’Or conversation and believes his achievements over the past year give him a legitimate chance. However, he acknowledged that the final decision rests with the journalists who vote for the award.
Kane Leads Ballon d’Or Race
Mbappe’s best previous Ballon d’Or finish came in 2023, when he placed third while still playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
He is not currently the bookmakers’ favourite for the 2026 award, which is scheduled to be presented on 26 October.
England captain Harry Kane leads the betting after an outstanding season with Bayern Munich. Kane scored a club-record 61 goals in 51 games as Bayern completed a domestic double, while also contributing six goals at the World Cup.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is another leading contender after helping his club win La Liga and lifting the World Cup with Spain. His Barcelona and Spain team-mate Rodri, formerly of Manchester City, is also regarded as one of the strongest candidates.
Mbappe’s Remarkable Scoring Record
Mbappe has continued building one of the most prolific scoring records of his generation since joining Real Madrid.
He remains Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer with 256 goals in 308 appearances and also holds France’s scoring record after registering 66 goals in 106 international matches.
Since moving to the Bernabeu, Mbappe has scored 90 times in 107 games. Despite those numbers, he has yet to win a major trophy during his first two seasons with Madrid.
His individual honours remain extensive. Mbappe has finished as the leading league scorer in eight consecutive seasons, winning six Golden Boots in Ligue 1 and two in La Liga. He has also twice finished as the World Cup’s top scorer and twice led the Champions League scoring charts.
The Frenchman won the World Cup in 2018 but is still waiting for a first Champions League title.
PSG Success Does Not Distract Mbappe
One of the more striking developments since Mbappe left Paris has been PSG’s breakthrough in Europe. The French club had never won the Champions League during his time there but have lifted the trophy in both seasons since his departure.
Mbappe has played down the significance of that sequence, maintaining that PSG’s success does not affect how he evaluates his own career or his decision to move to Madrid.
His immediate attention is instead on helping Real Madrid return to winning ways.
After two trophyless seasons at the Bernabeu, Mbappe is avoiding long-term predictions and focusing on being ready for each match. With another Champions League campaign approaching, his priority is to help Madrid start strongly and put themselves back in contention for Europe’s biggest prizes.
A return to major team success could also strengthen his chances of finally adding the Ballon d’Or to an already extensive list of individual achievements.