The reigning Ballon d’Or holder has spoken — and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé is firmly in the conversation. Ousmane Dembélé, who currently holds the Golden Ball after a stellar campaign, named the Frenchman as one of his three top candidates for this year’s award, alongside Harry Kane and PSG teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
What Happened
Earlier this week, with the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist freshly announced, Dembélé sat down with the media and was asked a simple but irresistible question: who does he think deserves the prize? Speaking to L’Équipe — as reported and shared by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano — the PSG forward didn’t hesitate. His podium: Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappé. No dithering, no diplomatic non-answers. Just three names, delivered with conviction.
Dembélé himself is on the 30-man shortlist, which isn’t entirely surprising given PSG’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs, but he’s not considered a frontrunner for the actual prize. Instead, the consensus among pundits and fans alike seems to centre on Lamine Yamal, Kane, and of course Mbappé as the leading contenders for the 2026 edition of the award.
The Real Madrid connection here is obvious: Mbappé moved to the Bernabéu in the summer of 2024, one of the most anticipated transfers in football history, and has been building toward exactly this kind of recognition ever since. Hearing a fellow Ballon d’Or winner — and a former international teammate — back him so openly will only add weight to Los Blancos supporters’ hopes of seeing another Galáctico lift that iconic trophy.
What It Means for Real Madrid
For Madridistas, this is more than just a fun soundbite from a rival club’s player. Mbappé landing the Ballon d’Or would be a massive moment for this current generation of Real Madrid — and frankly, it would feel like the natural culmination of a move that was always about more than just trophies. When Mbappé finally made the switch to Madrid, the expectation was that he would compete for, and eventually win, the world’s most prestigious individual award while wearing white. That narrative is very much alive.
From a broader footballing perspective, Real Madrid have historically been one of the clubs most associated with the Ballon d’Or. The trophy has found its way to the Bernabéu with remarkable regularity across different eras — from Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominant run to Luka Modrić’s unforgettable 2018 win to Karim Benzema’s thoroughly deserved triumph. Should Mbappé add his name to that list, it would reinforce the idea that Madrid remains the ultimate stage for the world’s elite players to claim their individual legacy.
It’s also worth noting the context around the shortlist itself. According to the related reporting, the 30-man list includes four Real Madrid players and three from Barcelona — a strong showing for the Spanish giants and a reflection of La Liga’s continued importance on the continental stage, particularly after another heavyweight Champions League campaign.
What’s Next
The Ballon d’Or ceremony itself will be the moment of truth, and between now and then, the debate will only intensify. Dembélé’s endorsement adds an interesting dimension: this is the current holder of the award making his picks, which carries a certain unofficial authority. Whether the voters agree with his top three remains to be seen, but Mbappé’s inclusion in the reigning champion’s shortlist certainly won’t do his chances any harm.
For the Bernabéu faithful, the message is clear: the man leading Real Madrid’s attack isn’t just being discussed as a contender by fans and pundits — he’s being named as a genuine favourite by the very player who holds the crown right now. That’s the kind of validation that matters, and Madrid fans will be watching the Ballon d’Or ceremony with every reason to be excited.
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