José Mourinho, Real Madrid's manager, has revealed his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
France Football magazine, in cooperation with UEFA, announced the 30-man list of nominees yesterday, Tuesday.
Mourinho, for his part, believes the absence of a team title should not stop Kylian Mbappé from winning the Ballon d'Or. He defended his striker's nomination speaking to "Canal Plus" after Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League.
"Even the best player in the world may go through a season without any title," Mourinho explained. "He may win everything and yet not be the best player in the world."
Then he made his choice plain: "Of course, I will vote for Mbappé."
That is major backing for the Frenchman, one of the thirty names announced on Tuesday.
Mbappé publicly defends his nomination despite a season that ended without a major title at either Real Madrid or the French national team.
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The France captain topped the scorers' list in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup last season. He believes he made history at the World Cup as its all-time top scorer, and reckons "this year could be the year" of his first Ballon d'Or win.
"When you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, you inevitably become associated with such individual awards," he explained last Monday.
Ibrahima Konaté has also confirmed he will vote for his compatriot, who learns his fate on 26 October in London.