Mbappe Joins Elite Messi-Ronaldo Club with Stunning Ballon d'Or Milestone

Only three footballers throughout history have achieved eight Ballon d'Or nominations before reaching 27 years of age: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and most recently, Kylian Mbappé.

The French striker earned this historic nomination following his 2024–25 season with Real Madrid. Mbappé netted 44 goals during his inaugural campaign in the famous white jersey, claiming his maiden European Golden Boot alongside the Pichichi Trophy.

Mbappé's prior seven nominations occurred while playing for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. The attacker first received consideration for the accolade in 2017 when he was merely 18 years old. During that period, he held the distinction of being the youngest nominee ever for this prestigious honor, a record currently held by Lamine Yamal.

The French national team star has earned nominations for this coveted award annually since then, except for 2020 when the ceremony was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing his total to eight nominations at 26 years of age.

Messi and Ronaldo, universally recognized as the two finest players in football history, similarly accumulated eight Ballon d'Or nominations by age 26. No other footballer in the sport's history can make this claim.

However, both legends had already secured multiple Ballon d'Or victories before turning 26, which Mbappé has not accomplished. While the French forward is universally acknowledged as among the world's elite players, he has yet to capture this individual accolade.

Ronaldo was 23 years old when he claimed his inaugural Ballon d'Or in 2008. Messi was 22 when he earned the trophy the subsequent year. Together, these two superstars possess 13 Ballon d'Or titles.

Despite matching these legends in the record books, Mbappé will probably need to wait before hearing his name announced at the Théâtre du Châtelet. PSG's Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona's Yamal are considered the leading contenders to claim the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Regardless of his remarkable goal-scoring exploits last season, Mbappé was unable to guide Real Madrid to any significant silverware, substantially diminishing his prospects of being named the next Ballon d'Or champion.