Ballon d’Or 2026: Mbappé aims to dedicate trophy to Africa if he wins
Kylian Mbappé stated on Tuesday, September 22, that he intends to dedicate the Ballon d’Or 2026 to Africa if he wins the trophy on October 26 in London. In an interview with RFI, the Real Madrid forward expressed his strong connection to his African roots and the support he receives from the continent.
The Frenchman bases his candidacy on an impressive individual season, scoring 50 goals across the three main competitions he participated in: 25 in La Liga, 15 in the Champions League, and 10 in the World Cup. With 22 goals in three World Cup editions, he also became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer this summer.
However, this tally did not come with any major titles. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga and was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, while France exited the World Cup in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, Mbappé believes that the Ballon d’Or should primarily reward individual performance.
The competition remains fierce, with notable contenders including Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, World Cup champions with Spain and La Liga winners with FC Barcelona, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, European champions with PSG, as well as Harry Kane, Bundesliga champion with Bayern. The winner will be announced on October 26 in London.
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