Kylian Mbappe said he considers himself to be the best soccer player in the world and thinks this is "a good year" to win the Ballon d'Or, even if he feels voters have other options.
The France forward scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer, and was also the top scorer in La Liga, scoring 25 goals for Real Madrid. But with France finishing fourth at the World Cup and Real Madrid failing to lift any major trophies, Mbappe knows some voters will look elsewhere when selecting their top pick for the prize.
"I think when you play for Real Madrid, which is the best club in the world, people naturally associate this team with awards, with team prizes, individual awards," Mbappe said ahead of Real Madrid's
UEFA Champions League match with Inter Milan. "Of course, a lot of people when I see them in the street they speak to me about the Ballon d’Or, a lot of people talk about me as a possible Ballon d’Or winner. It’s true that it’s a prize that is a really positive thing for every player.
"Of course, I made a lot of history this summer in the most important competition in the sport. But we’ll see. I have the feeling that it’s a good year for that, but there’s a lot of time left and people have the freedom to vote for who they think is the best player in the world."
Ballon d'Or favorites and past results
The field for the Ballon d'Or, the award given by France Football to the player judged to have the best season is seen as one of the most wide open in years.
Paris Saint-Germain defended its UEFA Champions League title, but with the World Cup also playing a part in this year's calculations and the Parisians having few international standouts, the door may be open for a winner who didn't win Europe's most prestigious club competition.
In addition to Mbappe, Bayern Munich and England forward Harry Kane, FC Barcelona and Spain attacker Lamine Yamal, and PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are all among oddsmakers' favorites to win the prize.
The trophy is voted on by an international panel of journalists, with one reporter from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings sending in their top 10 players in order. PSG attacker Ousmane Dembélé won the prize last year, with Mbappe finishing 7th. Mbappe's best-ever finish was when he was third in 2023. Mbappe also won the Kopa Award in 2018 for best young player in the world after helping France to the World Cup title.
Even one of Mbappe's Real Madrid teammates, England ace Jude Bellingham, has made a case for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with manager Jose Mourinho saying it can be difficult to decide which individual has stood out more.
"I’ve said that there’s more than one (candidate) at Real Madrid," Mourinho said. "Obviously, there’s one that has made history forever. I don’t see anyone else coming up in the next World Cup or in eight years who will break his record like this. I think it’ll be him still growing this number of goals which looks unbeatable. But Jude as a midfield player is an absolutely incredible player."
Mbappe said he "always" considers himself the best player in the world, but understands that others may see things differently, with a number of great players contending for the prize.
"It’s something that is very personal. Everyone has their opinion. Maybe some people here think I’m the best player in the world, other people don’t," he said. "I don’t think it’s a debate where … everyone has to think the same thing as me.
"Of course, I think this year could be a good year for me to win the Ballon d’Or, but like I said it’s the journalists who are going to vote and they’ll vote for whoever they think is the best player in the world."
The Ballon d'Or is set to be unveiled Oct. 26 in London, a venue change made in honor of British legend Stanley Matthews winning the inaugural prize in 1956.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kylian Mbappe backs himself for Ballon d'Or win, but says voters will decide
