Everyone who has backed the Kylian Mbappe Ballon d’Or PR campaign: Mourinho, Henry…

Real Madrid are putting all their weight behind a PR campaign for Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or, despite him not being one of the favourites.

It may have been a year in which Spain won the World Cup, but they did so with no Real Madrid players in their squad. And so, those at Madrid are collectively overlooking any national pride and backing Mbappe for the Ballon d’Or.

Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are among the favourites to win football’s biggest individual prize, having also actually won things with their teams.

A trophyless season for Real Madrid, coupled with France’s failure to win the World Cup, has lessened Mbappe’s chances of convincing everyone that he’d be a worthy winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or.

But there are still those fighting his corner after he was confirmed on the 30-man shortlist.

The main arguments for Mbappe are that he was the World Cup’s top scorer – not only for the 2026 tournament specifically, but now for all time – and the Champions League’s last season as well.

In terms of pure individual talent, he has delivered. But trophies have a heavy weighting on the Ballon d’Or, especially in an international tournament year, and so Mbappe’s push for the Ballon d’Or is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Unless this lot’s powers of persuasion turn the tide…

Jose Mourinho

“The best players in the world, there are two, three or four of them, and we know who they are: they’re here,” Mourinho said towards the end of August.

“For me, there is one who, individually, made history this summer.

“You cannot give the Ballon d’Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup. The Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, will be missed for ever. Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane…

“If we want to reward the Champions League, then give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to [Luis] de la Fuente. The best player in the world is something else and he is neither at PSG nor in the Spain team.”

Never change, Jose. He’s not going to by now, is he? For all he knocks down some of his own players, he wholeheartedly backs those he favours.

And after his return to Madrid, Mourinho has quickly understood who’s side he has to be on.

He has a point, to be fair, that just being part of a squad that wins one of the big competitions doesn’t automatically make you a great. Or at least it shouldn’t.

Remember when Jorginho was catapulted to third in the 2021 Ballon d’Or voting because he’d won the Champions League and the Euros? He was a good player, but not really at that level. Just in the right place at the right time.

Mbappe has always dreamed of being mentioned in the same breath as those illustrious names Mourinho mentioned, and is closer to being worthy, but he continues to lack the Ballon d’Or – or several – they all have.

Ibrahima Konate

“For me, Kylian Mbappé should win the Ballon d’Or,” Konate chimed in on the day of Real Madrid’s 2026-27 Champions League opener against Inter Milan.

“To be honest, in the dressing room we don’t talk about the Ballon d’Or, at all.”

Might not talk about it, but you’ve got the memo, haven’t you, Ibou?

As one of the other French players at Real Madrid, you can see why Konate might side with Mbappe, even if they’ve only been clubmates for a few weeks now.

It’s not as if any of his old Liverpool colleagues would be in with a better shout this year, after all.

Thierry Henry

“It’s Kylian Mbappe,” vowed Henry on punditry duties for CBS on Tuesday. “And yes, people will tell me that he didn’t win anything. I think it happened in history. I think some people need to do their research on that one.

“But for me, it’s Kylian. When you see what he has achieved individually… Top goal scorer in the Champions League, top goal scorer in LaLiga and also the World Cup. Michael Olise has the same thing in terms of assists.

“I just wanted to explain that there are a lot of people that are candidates and they’re not like Mickey Mouse candidates, in all fairness. But I will personally go with [Mbappe]. Michael Olise, close.

“It’s not as easy as it was last year. I think this year is a bit more complicated… Harry Kane, it’s not me, but the best player in Germany last year was Michael Olise.

“If you ask people in England who had the best World Cup, they would say Jude Bellingham… You would say that maybe that his season wasn’t too great at Madrid.”

Henry was a previous Ballon d’Or runner-up, but ended up as one of the best players in recent memory not to win the prize.

There is undoubtedly some French bias among Henry’s shouts, as seen with his support for Olise as well – and his backing last year for the winner, Ousmane Dembele.

Daniel Taylor

“I’m still drawn in by Mbappe’s portfolio of 58 goals for club and country,” wrote The Athletic’s Taylor in an article where one of their journalists made the case for each of the main candidates. “Which player put together a greater showreel in the World Cup? Whose goals will live longer in the memory?

“Call me old-fashioned, but I want the Ballon d’Or to go to the most consistently thrilling player, the guy you can’t take your eyes off. The showman. Lionel Messi used to be that player. Cristiano Ronaldo, too.

“Kane might win the numbers game and – surprise – Bayern might have bagged their umpteenth Bundesliga title in a row. But it is the presence of Mbappe, more than anybody else, that would make me quicken my step outside a football stadium and that shouldn’t be underestimated now that the Messi-Ronaldo dominance of this award is no more.”

Ousmane Dembele

Last year’s winner hasn’t said outright that Mbappe should take his mantle, but has named him on his personal three-man shortlist when asked by L’Equipe.

The others are his PSG colleague Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the popular neutral pick of Kane.

Dembele stressed that his three choices were in no particular order, but did predict a PSG player would prevail.

Kylian Mbappe

“I think when you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, people associate you with this award.

“There are many people that speak about me and the Ballon d’Or. Of course I’ve made history in the most important competition. Maybe it’s a good year for this but people can vote according to what they think.

“I always think I’m the best [player in the world] but everyone has their own opinion.

“Maybe people think different ways. I don’t think it’s a discussion we need to have.

“Of course this year could be good for me to win the Ballon d’Or. But journalists vote.”

If you can’t back yourself, then who else can?