Mbappé says Ballon d’Or talk is natural — titles are the real test
Kylian Mbappé says it is no surprise people already see him as a Ballon d’Or contender after a historic World Cup — but he knows individual glory will mean little if Real Madrid keep falling short.
The France captain won the Golden Boot with 10 goals this summer as Les Bleus finished fourth.
Those strikes took his World Cup tally to 22, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. At 27, he has still never won the award given to the world’s best player.
“When you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, people naturally link you with that kind of prize — collective awards, individual awards,” Mbappé told reporters this week.
“A lot of people stop me in the street and talk about the Ballon d’Or. They talk about me as a possible winner.
“I made a lot of history this summer in the biggest competition in sport. I feel it’s a good year for that. But there is still a long way to go, and people can vote for whoever they think is the best.”
Since joining Madrid in 2024, Mbappé has scored freely. The club has not. On Tuesday the 15-time European champions host Inter Milan in their Champions League opener.
Critics say the side looks unbalanced: too many stars, not enough work. Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior have been accused of not doing enough for the team, unlike Ousmane Dembélé at Paris Saint-Germain and Raphinha at Barcelona.
“We have to improve,” Mbappé admitted. “I could play dumb and say I score more than Dembélé and Raphinha, so they should score more to be like me.
“Everyone is different. I want to do this intelligently. Of course I have to improve. I just don’t like the comparisons. I do a lot of things others don’t.”
José Mourinho has said he would rather Mbappé score fewer goals if it helped Madrid win trophies. Mbappé said he would accept that trade — but rejected the choice itself.
“I’d take 30 goals and titles, yes. But for me it’s an absurd debate. I always want to score goals and win titles. You don’t have to choose. You can do both.”
The match between Real Madrid is at Santiago Bernabeu at 9pm on Tuesday.
