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Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé believes his World Cup performances could propel him to Ballon d'Or success as competition for the prestigious award intensifies.
Mbappé scored 10 goals for France on their way to a fourth-place finish this summer, claiming the Golden Boot and cementing his status as the all-time leading scorer in tournament history with 22 goals across as many matches.
Those statistics, combined with his 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid, firmly place Mbappé in the Ballon d'Or discussion, and the Frenchman is eager to finally claim the coveted award.
"Many people, when they see me on the street, bring up the Ballon d'Or, many people mention me as a potential winner. Of course, I made a lot of history this summer in the biggest competition in sport, but we'll see.
"I feel like it's been a strong year for that, but there's still plenty of time left and people are free to vote for whoever they believe is the best player in the world."
Harry Kane Still Leads Race After Famous Season
Had France lifted the World Cup, Mbappé's argument might have been impossible to overlook. Les Bleus were actually eliminated in the third-place playoff by an England team powered by the goals of Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane.
Kane scored a remarkable 73 goals for club and country last season—a total surpassed only by Lionel Messi (82) in 2011–12—as Bayern cruised to Bundesliga glory, establishing him as the frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or.
"I'm incredibly proud of the season I put together, for sure," Kane told TNT Sports. "Not too long ago, I was just a fan dreaming of becoming a professional footballer, and here I am winning awards, and the Ballon d'Or is no different. Of course, it's now out of my hands, it's up to the voters and those who decide it. The season I had was by far my best, and we'll have to wait and see.
"It's a strange feeling because I'm already focused on this season and the next. Can I do better? Can I keep improving? But I also want to take a moment to appreciate what I achieved.
"The thing with football opinions... there are so many of them, so many arguments for different players, and people love this player because 'he's quick' or 'he reads the game brilliantly' or 'his finishing is exceptional.'
"So I think that's what makes football so special, all those debates, and the Ballon d'Or is definitely one of them. I'm glad to be in the running, so we'll just have to wait and see."
When Will the Ballon d'Or Winner Be Announced?
In an unprecedented move, the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London, with the event set for Oct. 26.
Prior to that, a 30-player shortlist will be unveiled on Sept. 8, with those names then submitted to one journalist from each of the top 100-ranked nations around the world. Those chosen to vote will select their top 10, with points distributed to players based on their placement on each individual ballot.
Those points are then combined and the final rankings will be revealed throughout the day on Oct. 26, before the winner is officially crowned at the London ceremony.