Kylian Mbappe believes his amazing World Cup campaign has put him firmly in the race for the Ballon d’Or title. France’s Real Madrid superstar had an electrifying summer with France and put in big performances on the biggest international stage and cemented himself as one of the best football players in the world.
Mbappe will go into the new season with a lot of pressure on him as Real Madrid go to another Champions League campaign. The French forward is expected to play in Madrid’s Champions League opener at Inter Milan and attention will once again be on how he can make his outstanding individual form translate into great success for the Spanish giants.
Mbappe’s World Cup campaign was particularly memorable. Mbappe finished third in the Golden Boot for 10 goals in the tournament and 22 goals in the history of the FIFA World Cup, making him the all-time leading scorer in the competition (according to some media reports). That was also the best World Cup record of his career so far at the time.
Mbappe said after the summer performance which could be a factor in him winning the Ballon d’Or in the future. But the French captain said there’s still a lot of football left to be played before the final decision is reached.
"I believe I can win the Ballon d'Or this year."
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 7, 2026
Kylian Mbappé's words ahead of the 2026 race. 🌕
All you need to know on https://t.co/WrVGTh51OO, link in bio!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/9UJA31PeAn
“Of course I made a lot of history this summer in the most important competition in sport, but we’ll see,” Mbappe said. “I have the feeling that it’s a good year for that, but there’s still a long time to go, and people are free to vote for whoever they think is the best player in the world.”
France ended up fourth in the tournament, and Mbappe’s performances were among the best. His goals, leadership and ability to shape big games was still prevalent from the start of the tournament in the discussions of world’s best footballers.
But Mbappe admitted that playing for Real Madrid naturally raises expectations for major trophies and individual awards. The Spanish club has a long history of producing Ballon d’Or winners and its players are regularly involved in conversations about football’s biggest individual honour.
“I think that when you play for Real Madrid, which is the best club in the world, naturally people associate you with that kind of award,” Mbappe said. “They associate you with collective awards, individual awards.”
The forward said fans often call him to talk about his chances for the Ballon d’Or, showing how strongly the possibility of him winning this year’s prize has captured the imagination of football fans.
Despite his explosive goals, Mbappe insists he is still focused on improving his overall game. Real Madrid are still developing as a team and he dismissed the idea that all the comparisons between attacking players are always helpful.
Mbappe says every player has different qualities on the pitch and he prefers to concentrate on what he is required by his own responsibilities, not on what others are doing. But he is a man of the moment and goals are still very much part of his game but he thinks success really comes down to what the team does together.
For Mbappe, team silverware is more important than individual accomplishments. The French superstar was ready to sacrifice personal goals if it meant helping Real Madrid win a lot of big titles.
“I’d happily score only 30 goals if it meant winning trophies,” Mbappe said. “I’d rather win titles. If I have to choose between the two I’ll take the trophies. But I always want to score goals. I want to do both.”
That mindset will be crucial as Real Madrid gets into another demanding season. The Champions League is a top priority but domestic success will also be in demand of a team with world-class talent.
Mbappe has now the opportunity to build on his World Cup performances to lead Real Madrid to major honours. If he mixes his prolific scoring with championships at the club level, his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or will be even stronger.
Mbappe’s quest for individual glory and team success will continue to be one of the biggest stories in world football going into the Champions League campaign and the goal is already clear for the Real Madrid star: score goals, win trophies and continue making history.
