Kylian Mbappe Told 2026 Ballon d’Or Disappointment Is His Fault
Legendary French striker and 1991 Ballon d’Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin claimed it was Kylian Mbappé’s aggressive PR strategy that cost him in the race for soccer’s most coveted individual prize.
Mbappé was narrowly beaten by Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane to the Men’s Ballon d’Or at Monday’s ceremony in London.
After the award was handed out, Vincent Garcia, the editor of France Football—the organizers of the award—revealed this year’s voting had been “incredibly close” with a final gap “even smaller than the one between Rodri and Vinícius Jr in 2024, which was 41 points”.
Mbappé campaigned hard for the Ballon d’Or, doing interviews with a number of high-profile outlets including France Football’s sister publication L’Equipe, in which he talked up his own achievements from the past year under the headline “no player was better than me last season”.
It was this strategy that ultimately cost the Real Madrid and France forward, according to Papin.
Bad Communication
Speaking to RMC Sport, Papin said: “Mbappé's communication strategy has hurt him a lot.
“It reflects, in a way, what he's like. It's a shame, considering his qualities and the club he plays for.”
Papin went on to compare Mbappé to former Real Madrid great—and five-time Ballon d’Or winner—Cristiano Ronaldo, in a double-edged compliment, while he also suggested there is still plenty of time for the 27-year-old to get his hands on the trophy.
“Mbappé reminds me a bit of Cristiano Ronaldo: everyone else had to be at his service,” Papin added.
“In terms of effectiveness, he's not far from what Cristiano Ronaldo achieved. But his communication strategy has backfired. I'm convinced he'll win the Ballon d'Or; he has the necessary qualities to do so. It wasn't a 'now or never' situation. It was a good opportunity, yes, but he still has a long way to go.”
Where Did Mbappé Go Wrong?
It’s hard to know exactly if Papin’s assessment of a misjudged communication strategy is correct, without speaking to all 100 of the international journalists who took part in the Ballon d’Or vote. While Kane took a muchy lower-profile approach to the award’s buildup, Lamine Yamal—who finished third—also campaigned hard in the media.
Another possible factor in Mbappé not getting his name called out by Ronaldo on stage at the London Palladium was the striker’s lack of trophies in 2025–26.
Mbappé’s candidacy was built around his goalscoring achievements, with the forward top-scoring in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup—while also becoming the all-time lading goalscorer in the latter.
Madrid manager José Mourinho tacitly backed Mbappé’s claim by telling reporters “For me, there is one who, individually, made history this summer,” when asked about the award back in September.
However, despite Mbappé’s inidividual history-making feats, he ended 2025–26 without a team trophy to his name as Real Madrid finished distant runners up to Barcelona last season, while they also exited the Champions League to Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage. At the World Cup, Mbappé’s France fell at the semifinals with Mbappé stifled by eventual winners Spain.
Kane, by contrast, won the Bundesliga with Bayern and scored 73 goals for club and country in 2025–26—the most in a single season by any player since Lionel Messi’s 82 in 2011–12.
