Not Harry Kane, not Lamine Yamal! Thomas Müller reveals his two favourites for the Ballon d'Or

Thomas Müller has weighed in on the debate over the World Player of the Year award and, in doing so, expressed a rather surprising opinion.

"For me, there are two candidates who have thrilled me the most with their individual performances," the 37-year-old wrote in his monthly email newsletter. "And they are Michael Olise and his ideal World Cup partner Kylian Mbappe." That is a surprising call, with Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal widely seen as the clear favourites for the Ballon d'Or.

Kane won the domestic double with Bayern Munich and scored 73 goals for club and country during the assessment period, the 2025/26 season, more than any other player. Yamal won the Spanish Primera Division with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain.

Now playing in MLS for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Müller did not mention either his former Bayern Munich team-mate Kane or Yamal.

Which titles did Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe win?

Instead, the 37-year-old former Germany international made a clear case for Olise and Mbappe: "The two combine spectacle with a goal threat. In detail, they manage to be efficient with their finesse and power, while also making the whole thing look ultra-easy. To me, that is the material of a world player of the year. It simply needs a touch of magic."

With Bayern Munich, Olise won the double alongside Kane but scored significantly fewer goals than his ideal attacking partner. His compatriot Mbappe finished last season at Real Madrid without a single major title. At the World Cup, the two Frenchmen went out in the semi-finals to eventual winners Spain.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on 26 October at the London Palladium Theatre. The French football magazine France Football organises the vote. Selected journalists from around the world are eligible to vote.