Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has backed Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or, describing the French forward as football’s outstanding individual performer over the past year despite the club’s failure to win major trophies.
Naija News gathered that Courtois made the remarks during an interview with DAZN earlier today, October 21, admitting that Real Madrid’s lack of silverware could weaken Mbappé’s chances of claiming the prestigious individual award.
“Individually, no player was better than him this year, but sadly, we didn’t win any trophies,” the Belgian goalkeeper said.
kylian Mbappé has continued to produce impressive performances for Real Madrid, but the absence of major titles could count against him as voters consider the leading contenders for the award.
Courtois also identified Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal as a strong contender, pointing to the teenager’s success in winning trophies with his club.
“Lamine Yamal had a worse World Cup than Mbappé, but he won the title and won the league,” he added.
Attention is building towards the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled for Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium in the United Kingdom.
French football legend Thierry Henry and British broadcaster Kate Scott are scheduled to co-host this year’s edition of the award.
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