Mourinho: Ballon d'Or Winner Need Not Have Trophies

José Mourinho, the current manager of Real Madrid, expressed that the recipient of the 2026 Ballon d'Or does not necessarily need to have won any trophies. He made this statement during a media interaction following Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League on a Tuesday night.

Mourinho's comments come amid criticism that players such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior may be ruled out of the Ballon d'Or race due to their lack of silverware. He argued that the best player in the world could also be one who has not won trophies.

Real Madrid's players, including Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Marc Cucurella, were all included in the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist that was unveiled on the same Tuesday.