Next month, Real Madrid could get their latest Ballon d’Or winner. Having agonisingly missed out with Vinicius Junior in 2024, there is confidence that Kylian Mbappe will claim the award when France Football hand it out on the 26th of October.
Mbappe has a strong case, having won the top scorer awards in La Liga, Champions League and 2026 World Cup. He racked up 42 goals and seven assists for Real Madrid, although his lack of trophies could go against him.
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That is the opinion of Lamine Yamal, who is also in contention for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award. The Barcelona man was asked by Universo Valdano (via Diario AS) for his take, and while he admitted that he and Mbappe are the two best candidates, he believes he has the edge.
“Who would I give it to? To the best in the world. Who are they going to give it to? That’s already a very long conversation. I sincerely believe that as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us. And I think that this year I would deserve it for what I have won. Because for me, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. For me it’s very clear, and everyone who watches the games knows it.”
Mbappe or Lamine Yamal: Who has the better case?
Lamine Yamal helped Barcelona win La Liga and Spain win the World Cup, while racking up 24 goals and 18 assists at club level. As for Mbappe, his individual stats speak for themselves, and given that the Ballon d’Or is an individual award, he is right to be confident that 2026 will be his year to take home the award.
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As well as Lamine Yamal, Mbappe must also be wary of competition from other players – notably Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, who won the European Golden Boot for the 2025-26 season. It will be interesting to see who does emerge victorious, with the race seemingly wide open.
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