No Cups, But Mbappe Pushes for Football's Top Individual Prize

The Ballon d'Or gala takes place in London this coming Monday. For fans of Kylian Mbappe, the outcome matters for how a player's reputation and market value are shaped. The prize itself carries no cash payout. It does, however, raise a person's standing in the sport. The vote covers the 2025-26 season, a period in which Mbappe finished without a single trophy for his club or his country.

The first major point for his campaign involves the 2026 World Cup in North America. He took home the Golden Boot for the second straight tournament. He also claimed a historic mark in the record books. He became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals in 22 matches. Lionel Messi sits second with 21 goals. Miroslav Klose is third with 16.

Mbappe addressed his standing in that record book last month. He said being the top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking great legends in the sport's biggest tournament, is something that really stands out. He was also asked about his own vote for the prize. His reply was: "Myself."

The second point comes from his club performance. He scored 25 goals in La Liga, which made him the league's top scorer. He added 15 goals in the Champions League. He led the scoring charts in that tournament as well. He told reporters he was top scorer in all the biggest competitions. He added he feels this could be a good year for him.

The third point, and the clear weakness in his argument, is the lack of silverware. Real Madrid had a turbulent campaign. The team was first under Xabi Alonso, then under Alvaro Arbeloa. They finished second in La Liga. They lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. This marks a second straight season without a major trophy for the club. France also failed to win the World Cup. The team placed fourth, losing to Spain in the semifinals and to England in the third-place playoff.

Rival players have stronger trophy cases. Lamine Yamal won the World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona. Bayern's Harry Kane collected three trophies last term, including the Bundesliga title. Mbappe does not seem concerned about these facts. He told the radio station RFI: "They won't announce a team in the envelope; they will announce a player." He added the ability to perform individually and produce eye-catching moments is what stands out for an award of this kind. His manager, Jose Mourinho, supports him as well. Mourinho said: "We know who has made history this summer, and he's not from PSG or the Spanish national team."

History does not favor his side. Over the past decade, every Ballon d'Or winner lifted at least one trophy in the year of the award. Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner, helped PSG to their first Champions League title. Rodri won Euro 2024 with Spain and the Premier League with Manchester City before being named the winner two years ago.

One precedent does exist for this situation. The last winner without a major trophy was Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid in 2013. He won his second Ballon d'Or that year, ending Messi's four-year winning streak. Ronaldo scored 66 goals for club and country. Portugal failed to progress beyond the 2012 World Cup playoffs, and Real were league runners-up. That outcome suggests a path exists for Mbappe to win. He has nine nominations and a third-place finish in 2023. The ceremony on Monday will show if he can add the award to his records.