Kylian Mbappé's campaign to win the Ballon d'Or has opened a new front inside Real Madrid. The French star's intense media activity has stirred discontent in the club's corridors, with reports of clear reservations about the way he is running his personal push for the award.
According to the French website "Foot Mercato", Mbappé has temporarily halted his media tour after granting a string of interviews to French and international outlets in recent days, all part of his bid to boost his chances in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. He is expected to speak again after France's match against Turkey.
The France captain has become one of the most prominent names in global media over the past few days. He has appeared across several platforms and outlets, among them "L'Équipe", "AS", "Radio France Internationale" and "CNN".
Real Madrid have handed him no major titles, yet Mbappé continues to defend his case for the award. He leans on his outstanding goalscoring numbers, sitting among the leading scorers in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup.
His critics see it differently. They argue he was not decisive enough in some of the biggest clashes, while former stars such as Thierry Henry and Roberto Carlos rate him a strong contender for the prize.
Real Madrid keep silent
Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all announced support for their candidates. Real Madrid, by contrast, have yet to declare a clear stance on Mbappé's chances of winning the award.
The club had boycotted the Ballon d'Or ceremony since 2024, when Vinícius Júnior lost out to Rodri. Signs of a possible return recently emerged, with Real Madrid publishing messages and images in support of their candidates across various categories.
Catalan newspaper "Sport" struck a different note. It reported that Real Madrid's management does not appear fully convinced of Mbappé's chances, and that the club briefly weighed up travelling to London before backing away from the idea.
Discontent over Mbappé's approach
Most striking of all, the report describes grumbling within Real Madrid over the way Mbappé is running his Ballon d'Or campaign. Inside the club's corridors, they have called it exaggerated.
"Sport" quoted a source inside Real Madrid as saying: "He is begging for votes for the Ballon d'Or award." That account rests solely with the newspaper "Sport", with no official comment from Real Madrid or Mbappé.
Mbappé, then, is fighting the Ballon d'Or race on more than one front. He wants to boost his numbers and his media presence, yet he finds himself under fire over the style of his campaign, while his club prefers to stay quiet and out of the race in public.