Mourinho backs Mbappé for Ballon d'Or and calls for trophy criteria overhaul

José Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or while demanding an overhaul of the criteria governing the award. The Portuguese coach made this position clear at a press conference, days after the French international scored a hat-trick for Real Madrid against Real Sociedad in a delayed Liga matchday one fixture.

“The best players in the world, there are two, three or four of them, and we know who they are: they are at Real,” Mourinho said. “For me there is one who, individually, made history this summer,” he added, clearly referring to Mbappé without naming him explicitly.

Beyond his support for the Frenchman, the “Special One” questions the very foundations of the award. “You cannot give it to a player just because he won the Ligue des Champions or the World Cup. A Ballon d’Or must be one of those players who, when he retires, we will miss forever,” he stated, citing Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldo and Zidane as archetypes of this definition.

This vision contrasts with the official criteria established by France Football, which currently prioritises individual performances — decisive character, match influence, ability to make a difference — collective club and international honours, and fair play. Particular weight is given to performances in major tournaments, notably the Ligue des Champions and World Cup.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on Monday 26 October in London, marking the trophy’s 70th anniversary in tribute to Stanley Matthews. It will be the first edition held outside Paris, where the award was traditionally presented at the Théâtre du Châtelet.