The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is officially launched with the publication on Tuesday by France Football of the list of 30 named players. While debates rage about whether collective titles should take precedence over individual talent, Kylian Mbappé (27) asserts himself as the candidate at the center of all attention. To win the supreme reward, the French striker benefits from several strong supports, including that of Thierry Henry.
Speaking live on the American channel CBS Sports, the former top scorer in the history of the Blues took a clear position. For the 1998 world champion, the pharaonic KM10 statistics must prevail over all other considerations:
“If he had won the World Cup, I think Lionel Messi would have won the Ballon d’Or. And Michael Olise wouldn’t be far away. But Kylian Mbappé is my favorite. People will tell me that he didn’t win anything… I think some people should do some research and they will discover that some Ballon d’Or winners didn’t win anything the year before their coronation.
he said to begin with.
“When you see what he has achieved individually…”
“For me, it’s Kylian. When you see what he has achieved individually… Top scorer in the Champions League, top scorer in La Liga, top scorer at the World Cup, he stated. Olise has the same in terms of assists. It’s just crazy. I’ll go for Kylian, with Michael Olise not far away. »
And Thierry Henry was not the only one to campaign in favor of Kylian Mbappé on Wednesday. The same was true of José Mourinho. On the same line as the former Gunner, the Real Madrid technician also stepped up to defend his star. Questioned after Real Madrid’s victory against Inter Milan, the “Special One” was clear: “The best player in the world can have a season without a title. Conversely, you can win everything and not be the best player in the world. »
