Who Should Win the Ballon d'Or? Mourinho Says Mbappe Deserves It

Jose Mourinho has never been shy about backing his own players, and his second spell in charge of Real Madrid is already proving no different. Days before the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner is set to be crowned, the Portuguese coach used a pre-match press conference to make his feelings clear on who should lift football's most prestigious individual trophy and, more strikingly, on how the award itself should be judged.

Mourinho's Case for an Individual-First Ballon d'Or

Speaking ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga clash with newly promoted Malaga, Mourinho argued that the Ballon d'Or has drifted too far toward rewarding team success rather than personal brilliance. He said the prize should belong to the small handful of players who leave a mark strong enough that fans miss them for years after they retire, name-checking legends like Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazário, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, and Lothar Matthäus as the standard he measures greatness against.

His central argument was that lifting the Champions League or the World Cup should not, by itself, be enough to win the award. He suggested that if organizers wanted to reward collective achievement purely, the recognition should instead go to the coaches or federation figures behind those triumphs, pointing to PSG's Luis Enrique and Spain boss Luis de la Fuente as examples of people who could be honored for guiding their teams to glory. For Mourinho, the "best player in the world" conversation is a separate matter entirely, one that shouldn't hinge on which club or country a player represents.

The Mbappe Connection

Although Mourinho avoided naming a single player outright in some of his comments, the subtext was hard to miss. He noted that the elite bracket of world football consists of only three or four true contenders, and suggested that his own squad houses more than one of them. The timing lined up with Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. This performance came on the back of a stellar World Cup campaign in which the Frenchman became the tournament's record scorer, notching 22 career World Cup goals including 10 at the 2026 edition alone. Multiple outlets reported that Mourinho's remarks amounted to an endorsement of Mbappe as his pick for the trophy.

Mourinho also aimed what he described as the political element that can creep into Ballon d'Or voting, saying that once politics gets involved, his enthusiasm for the process cools. He was careful to add that the winner "does not have to be from PSG or Spain," a comment widely read as a subtle dig at rival candidates tied to those camps, including players connected with Spain's recent international success and PSG's Champions League-winning campaign.

Not the First Time Mourinho Has Questioned the Award

This isn't the first time Mourinho has publicly picked apart how the Ballon d'Or is decided. Years earlier, while managing Manchester United, he openly doubted whether Messi deserved the trophy in a season where Barcelona fell short in the Champions League, arguing that a deep European run should carry real weight in the conversation. That earlier stance might look at odds with his current position, but the common thread is consistent: Mourinho has always judged Ballon d'Or credentials through his own lens of what makes a player unforgettable, rather than simply following the consensus narrative of the moment.

His latest comments also seem to reference the debate that followed a recent Ballon d'Or win awarded to a midfielder largely on the back of a Champions League and international trophy haul rather than standout individual statistics. Pundits and fans have gone back and forth ever since on whether that decision set a precedent for rewarding team success over individual output, and Mourinho's comments appear to be a direct response to that ongoing discussion.

Why This Matters for the 2026 Race

The debate arrives at a pivotal moment for the award. This year's ceremony, organized by France Football, is scheduled for October 26 and will be held in London for the first time in its 70-year history, moving away from its traditional Paris venue to mark the milestone anniversary. The voting period covers performances from August 2025 through July 2026, meaning both club form and the 2026 World Cup in North America factor heavily into the final decision. A panel of journalists from 100 countries will cast the votes, and with the World Cup falling inside the eligibility window, the debate over whether team success should outweigh individual output has become sharper than in past years.

Mourinho's comments also echo a long-running tension in football punditry: should the sport's biggest individual prize go to whoever wins the biggest trophies that season, or to the player whose skill and impact are considered timeless regardless of the scoreline? It's a debate the coach has weighed in on before during his career, and his latest remarks suggest his philosophy hasn't shifted; trophies matter, but for Mourinho, true greatness is measured by legacy.

What Happens Next

With the ceremony just weeks away, scrutiny on every top contender will only intensify. Mbappe still has several league and Champions League fixtures to add to his case before votes are finalized, and Real Madrid's form under Mourinho could end up playing a role in shaping the broader narrative around his candidacy. Rival camps, including players linked to Spain's international success and PSG's recent European run, are unlikely to let Mourinho's comments go unanswered, and it wouldn't be surprising to see other managers or players weigh in with their own take before London hosts the gala.

For neutral fans, the debate Mourinho has reignited goes beyond just this year's shortlist. It touches on a fundamental question the sport has wrestled with for decades: is the Ballon d'Or meant to crown the single best performer in a given season, or is it meant to honor a player's broader footprint on the game? Mourinho has made his answer clear, and given his history of speaking his mind regardless of the reaction it draws, this likely won't be the last time he weighs in before the winner is finally announced.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not his comments influence voters, Mourinho's outspoken stance has added fresh fuel to an already heated Ballon d'Or conversation. With Mbappe in red-hot form and the ceremony just weeks away, all eyes will now be on whether France Football's panel agrees with the Real Madrid boss or whether team glory once again tips the scales in October.