J. Mourinho: why K. Mbappe cannot win the "Golden Ball"?

2026-08-30 09:00 © scanpix

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is surprised that football experts rarely mention his protégé Kylian Mbappe's chances of winning this year's Ballon d'Or.

According to the Portuguese, the prestigious prize should be awarded to the best player, rather than to an athlete known for team achievements.

The Portuguese pointed to K. Mbappe's individual performance this summer – the captain of the French national team became the top scorer in World Cup history.

Last season, he also became the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League, and the World Cup, despite not winning any major trophies with his team.

"There are two, three, or four best players in the world, and we know they are here.

In my opinion, there is one football player who individually made history this summer,” said J. Mourinho.

"You cannot award the Ballon d'Or to a player just because he won the Champions League or the World Cup,” the specialist stressed.