Mbappe continues media push for Ballon d'Or recognition

The 27-year-old was 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 and Real finished second in La Liga and were bundled 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.

Spanish pair Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup, PSG duo Ousamne Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won the French Ligue 1 and the Champions League, while Harry Kane was a Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place in London on October 26.