Courtois convinced Mbappé deserves first Ballon d'Or despite trophyless season

Thibaut Courtois has publicly thrown his support behind Kylian Mbappé in the Ballon d’Or race, believing the Real Madrid forward deserves to win the award for the first time in his career at the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London.

When asked about the subject, the Belgian international goalkeeper posed the fundamental question dividing observers: “Do you choose someone who has won titles or someone who has been above the rest throughout the season, even if he hasn’t won anything?” His answer leaves no room for ambiguity. “I think no one has been better than Mbappé individually. But unfortunately, we haven’t won anything collectively.”

This last concession sums up the main weakness of Mbappé’s case. While the Bondy native boasts an individual statistical record that is hard to dispute — leading scorer in the last Champions League, the last Spanish championship and the 2026 World Cup — Real Madrid failed to secure any major trophy during the past season, a criterion traditionally weighing heavily in journalists’ voting.

Among the other candidates mentioned for this 70th edition are Lionel Messi, Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé. The verdict will be announced on October 26 in London.