José Mourinho has backed Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or, saying the award should recognise the world’s best individual player rather than simply reward Champions League or World Cup winners. He argued that Mbappé “made history” during the summer by becoming the leading scorer in World Cup history, despite not winning a major trophy.

Mbappé was last season’s top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup, and recently scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. Other leading contenders include Harry Kane, Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielder Rodri, and PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; Mourinho’s Madrid face promoted Málaga on Sunday while seeking a third consecutive league win.