With voting for the 2026 edition of the Ballon d’Or already concluded, a few stragglers are still getting their two cents in. Given that Harry Kane is considered a favorite to win, you would think that a Bayern Munich legend like Thomas Müller is 100% behind his former teammate. You would be wrong.
In an interview captured by @iMiaSanMia, the current Vancouver Whitecaps striker shared an opinion that is not uncommon, but certainly goes against the united front projected by his former club.
“For me,
there are two candidates whose individual performances have impressed me the most,” said Müller. “And they are Michael Olise and his brilliant partner at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé. Why? The two combine spectacular play with a real goal threat. In the finer details, they manage to be efficient with their finesse and power while making the whole thing look incredibly effortless.”
“To me, that’s the kind of material you need to be the world’s best footballer,” he added. “You simply need that touch of magic.”
Now of course, most fans of FC Bayern will tell you that Michael Olise definitely deserves the Ballon d’Or. The way he has started this season certainly makes him the best player in the world right now. However, Bayern Munich have chosen to support Kane’s bid this year because he seems to have better odds. The club even released a video with Olise backing Kane to win the whole thing.
So when Müller says something like this, it will rub some the wrong way. Especially since he does not even mention Kane, preferring to highlight Kylian Mbappé despite the latter’s disappointing season with Real Madrid. Thomas Müller is not a man for media gaffes or bad interviews, so you can assume he meant what he said.
At the same time, not mentioning Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona is also notable. Perhaps, with voting already concluded, Müller wanted to highlight two names aside from the two frontrunners. That’s fair, but it will ruffle some feathers. Barcelona fans will not care what he said (in fact, they would rather forget that he exists), but his word still carries value among supporters of FC Bayern. Snubbing Harry Kane like this, even if unintentional, stings.
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