The Ballon d'Or: a German legend delivers a blow to Yamal in favour of Mbappe

Germany legend Thomas Müller has waded into the Ballon d'Or debate by naming Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé as the two players who impressed him most during the 2025-2026 season.

According to the Tribuna website, Müller unveiled his two surprise picks in his monthly newsletter. That left no room for Harry Kane or Lamine Yamal, two of the most prominent names on the list of candidates.

He singled out Olise and Mbappé for their individual quality, and above all their knack for blending creativity, attacking threat and goals.

Müller wrote: "For me, there are two candidates who impressed me more than the others with their individual performances, and they are Michael Olise and his perfect partner at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé."

Both men, the 37-year-old reckons, have everything needed to be crowned the best on the planet.

He added: "Both of them combine enjoyment, excitement and threat in front of goal. On a detailed level, they succeed in being effective thanks to their skill and strength. At the same time, they make everything look so easy. For me, these are the attributes of a player who can win the award for the best player in the world. All it needs is a touch of magic."

Olise swept up the silverware at Bayern Munich, landing the domestic double alongside Kane. His goal tally, though, fell well short of the England striker's.

Mbappé had a far leaner campaign, failing to win a single major trophy with Real Madrid. France's World Cup also ended in the semi-finals, beaten by eventual champions Spain.

Kane finished the assessment period as the top scorer among the contenders, bagging 73 goals for club and country. Yamal, meanwhile, claimed La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain.

Yet none of that was enough to sway Müller, who overlooked both Kane and Yamal in favour of his chosen pair.