Ballon d'Or: Ex-France Football Editor Criticizes Mbappé's Campaign

Pascal Ferré, former editor-in-chief of France Football and author of the book The Hidden Face of the Ballon d’Or, has criticized the media campaign conducted by Kylian Mbappé ahead of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, held Monday evening in London for the 70th edition of the award.

In recent weeks, the Real Madrid striker has given multiple interviews to assert that he deserved to succeed Ousmane Dembélé. An approach that Ferré deems counterproductive. “I’m not sure it’s problematic, but I’m also not certain it’s the right method. Who needs to be convinced? It’s not the media or football fans, but the jurors. And I’m not sure they’re particularly receptive to this kind of presidential campaign.”

The former head of the award concluded with a direct jab: “For me, a Ballon d’Or isn’t claimed, it’s earned. We’ll see in 24 hours whether he was right to go down that road or not.”

Ferré also clarified that the winner would not be informed before the ceremony, a practice abandoned since 2024: “Honestly, I don’t think so. Nobody will know.”

On the merits, Mbappé’s case presents solid arguments: top scorer in the Ligue des Champions, La Liga, and the 2026 World Cup, the Frenchman displays an individual statistical record that is difficult to ignore. Collectively, however, he won no titles during the past season, a criterion that traditionally weighs in the jury’s deliberations.