Mbappé Eyes First Ballon d'Or After World Cup Record

Kylian Mbappé, the forward for Real Madrid and captain of the France national team, is targeting his first Ballon d’Or award after setting a World Cup scoring record. In an interview with CNN Sports, he stated he feels no frustration about not having won the award, acknowledging that every player aspires to win it.

Despite not securing any silverware with Real Madrid last season and France finishing fourth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, achieving this milestone during the third-place playoff against England. He believes the Ballon d’Or should recognize individual performance rather than solely collective success.

Mbappé is among the top contenders for the award, alongside Lamine Yamal from Barcelona and Harry Kane from Bayern Munich, while Lionel Messi is also in the running for a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or. The ceremony is set for October 26 in London.

Additionally, Mbappé will continue as France's captain under new coach Zinedine Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps.