Mbappe's Record Season: 22 World Cup Goals Define Trophy-Less Ballon d'Or Bid
Kylian Mbappe enters Monday's London ceremony as a long shot, relying on his all-time World Cup scoring record to counter a season without major team honors.
By Petra Murphy ·
The 2025-26 season ended without a single trophy for Kylian Mbappe, yet he remains a contender for the Ballon d'Or ahead of Monday's ceremony in London. Bookmakers do not list him as the favorite, but the French forward has spent the past month arguing that his individual records outweigh his team's failures.
Mbappe's central argument rests on his performance at the 2026 World Cup in North America. He finished as the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals in 22 matches, surpassing Lionel Messi's 21 and Miroslav Klose's 16. Mbappe also won the Golden Boot for the second consecutive World Cup. "Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out," Mbappe said last month. When asked who he would vote for, he replied, "Myself."
His club numbers support that claim. At Real Madrid, Mbappe scored 25 goals to lead La Liga and added 15 in the Champions League, where he also topped the scoring charts. "I was top scorer in all the biggest competitions, and I think that this could be a good year for me, and I really feel it," the forward told reporters.
The main weakness in his case is the lack of silverware. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga and were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, marking a second straight season without a major title. France also underperformed at the World Cup, finishing fourth after losses to Spain in the semifinals and England in the third-place playoff.
His main rivals have stronger team results. Lamine Yamal won the World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona. Harry Kane of Bayern Munich secured three trophies, including the Bundesliga title. Mbappe’s manager, Jose Mourinho, believes history favors the Frenchman. "We know who has made history this summer, and he's not from PSG or the Spanish national team," Mourinho said.
Historical precedent suggests Mbappe has a slim chance. Every Ballon d'Or winner in the past decade lifted at least one major trophy in their winning year. Ousmane Dembele won in 2025 after helping Paris Saint-Germain claim the Champions League, and Rodri won in 2024 after leading Spain to Euro glory. The last player to win the award without a major team trophy was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013. He scored 66 goals that season while Real Madrid finished as league runners-up. Mbappe, who placed third in the 2023 voting, enters this year's race with nine prior nominations and no recent team hardware.
