Mourinho: Mbappé should win this year's Ballon d'Or

José Mourinho said on Saturday, before Real Madrid's La Liga match against Málaga, that Kylian Mbappé should win this year's Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid coach argued the award must be given to the best player rather than decided solely by World Cup or Champions League success.

Mbappé, the France captain, became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history and finished last season as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup, despite failing to win a major trophy. He scored a hat-trick in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Real Sociedad and appeared on the front page of Madrid-based sports daily AS under the headline: "Mbappé targets the Ballon d'Or." Mourinho referenced those achievements when discussing his choice.

"The best players in the world, there are two, three or four of them, and we know who they are: they're here," the Real Madrid coach said on Saturday before their game against Málaga in La Liga. "For me, there is one who, individually, made history this summer," Mourinho said, in reference to Mbappé. He added: "You cannot give the Ballon d’Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup."

Mourinho set out his view of what the Ballon d'Or should reward in another remark: "The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, will be missed for ever. Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane …" he said. Those names formed the basis of his argument for recognising sustained individual impact rather than a single-team triumph.

On the subject of other honours, Mourinho said: "If we want to reward the Champions League, then give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to [Luis] De la Fuente. The best player in the world is something else and he is neither at PSG nor in the Spain team." Those comments continued his distinction between team trophies and individual standing.

His rivals for the Ballon d'Or, as identified in coverage, include the England striker Harry Kane, the Spain midfielder and World Cup winner Rodri and Paris Saint-Germain’s European champions Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Mbappé remains listed among the contenders alongside those names.

Mourinho's side host promoted Málaga on Sunday as they seek a third straight victory to start their La Liga season.