Mbappé links World Cup record to Ballon d’Or hopes
The Real Madrid striker says his World Cup campaign strengthens his case for the award, while acknowledging the club must improve collectively.
Real Madrid striker and France captain Kylian Mbappé says his World Cup performance makes him a potential Ballon d’Or winner, according to Al Jazeera. Mbappé scored 10 goals at the tournament, won the Golden Boot and helped France finish fourth.
The report says Mbappé has scored 22 World Cup goals, making him the competition’s all-time leading scorer. He has not won the Ballon d’Or since joining Real Madrid in 2024.
Mbappé said his prospects were a natural subject of discussion given his club and international record, but stressed that the award would be decided by voters. He also said there was still time before the winner was determined.
Real Madrid is scheduled to host Inter Milan in its opening Champions League league-phase match. The fixture comes after the club’s reported difficulty converting its collection of star players into consistent team performances and a 1–0 La Liga defeat to Real Betis.
Mbappé said he wanted to improve his contribution to the collective effort and would accept scoring fewer goals if that helped Real Madrid win titles. He argued, however, that individual output and team success did not have to be mutually exclusive.
The match also carries historical significance for José Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to Champions League victory at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu in 2010 before later taking charge of the Spanish club.
