What if Kylian Mbappé never won the Ballon d’Or? The subject interests all countries, and this question is for example asked by the Italian journalist from Sky Italiawho voted for the individual trophy and placed Mbappé in first place in his ranking. Second in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Kylian Mbappé has never been so close to the individual trophy he so covets, and paradoxically seems further away than ever. How will he be able to win it one day if he is overtaken by Harry Kane, who has not won the Champions League or the World Cup? How will he be able to win it one day if being the top scorer in major competitions (World Cup, Champions League, La Liga) is not enough?
Since its first appearance in the ranking in 2017 (ranked 7th), it has never been out of the top 10. But it has only reached the podium twice (3rd in 2023, 2nd this year). Each time he lacks something to reach the final level. A major collective trophy, like in 2023 where his fabulous 2022 World Cup with his legendary hat-trick in the final came up against the final victory of Lionel Messi, or a memorable run in the Champions League, like in 2020 where he reached the final during the Covid period, without being decisive (and with a Ballon d’Or ultimately canceled).
He should have gotten there by now
So here is a boy who was promised several distinctions at the age of 17 who still finds himself in search of his first Ballon d’Or, even if it means having to lead major media campaigns to establish his legitimacy. And this even becomes a source of gossip in front of the main interested party, like the “roast” suffered in the Djadel Show on Netflix, where a comedian criticizes Mbappé, by reprising his famous “you don’t talk to me about age”. “And since then, you haven’t won the Ballon d’Or or the Champions League. We’re going to start talking about age soon, Kiki! »Sparrow said to him.
In England too, we are wondering about Mbappé’s ultimately astonishing journey. “Mbappé was supposed to succeed Messi and Ronaldo. Instead, Modric and Rodri got ahead of him. We then expected, at the very least, that he would be the next Frenchman to reach this level after Zinédine Zidane in 1998. But Karim Benzema, then Ousmane Dembélé, took this title from him.REMARK The Athletic. “Joining Real Madrid, the most successful club in Champions League history, was supposed to work in his favor. However, PSG, his former club, won the title for the first time since his departure, have won twice in a row and seem well on their way to a treble. »
An approach to change
And even the pro-Madrilenian daily Marca seems to wake up, a little late, noting that being an exceptional scorer is not enough, titles and involvement in the collective are essential. “The Ballon d’Or, although an individual reward, increasingly reflects the collective spirit of football. If we go further back in time, and excluding Cristiano Ronaldo and especially Lionel Messi, at a time when the trophy was more open, it was also awarded to two players who won the hearts of supporters by their ease of integration within the team: Luka Modric and Karim Benzema.writes the Spanish newspaper, which nevertheless pushed Mbappé’s candidacy to the maximum.
Still not winning even when no other candidate had the perfect record to win, he may wonder what he must do to achieve it. A string of goals is a certainty, but combine it with a great season at Real Madrid and with the French team, with more intense involvement in the collective effort. And then, maybe…
