As the 2026 Ballon d’Or announcement approaches, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has challenged the traditional criteria used to determine the world’s best player. Speaking ahead of a LaLiga fixture against Malaga, the Portuguese coach argued that the prestigious individual honor should not be automatically granted to players simply because they secured major team titles like the UEFA Champions League or the FIFA World Cup.
Mourinho emphasized that the award should recognize players who leave a lasting mark on football history rather than merely rewarding those who happen to be part of a trophy-winning squad. For years, the voting process has heavily favored athletes from successful teams, often overlooking individual brilliance if it was not accompanied by major silverware. Mourinho believes this trend needs to change to better reflect true impact.
The Real Madrid boss highlighted three of his own players—Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham—as prime candidates for this year’s honor. All three are expected to feature prominently on the 30-man shortlist. Among them, Mourinho has specifically thrown his support behind Kylian Mbappe, describing the French striker as the frontrunner for the 2026 award following a standout campaign.
Mbappe’s case is bolstered by his historic performance at the FIFA World Cup this summer, where he netted ten goals in eight matches. This achievement made him the first player to reach double figures in a single tournament this century and established him as the all-time leading goalscorer in the competition’s history. During the 2025-26 club season, Mbappe was equally prolific, recording 43 goals in 47 appearances for Real Madrid. His efforts earned him the Golden Boot in both LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League, and he has continued that momentum into the current season, including a recent hat-trick against Real Sociedad. The report also notes that “You can’t give the Ballon d’Or to a guy just for winning the UCL or the World Cup” – Jose Mourinho proposes new idea for award. The report also notes that having been named as Los Blancos boss earlier this summer, the Portuguese tactician is coaching some of the world’s best players. The report also notes that consequently, the best players in the world are often left out due to their inability to pick up silverware with their teams. The report also notes that but has never managed to win the biggest individual award in football, surprisingly, the France international has been one of the world’s best players for the last decade.
