Mbappé launches Ballon d'Or campaign with Real Madrid as his biggest platform

Kylian Mbappé has stepped on the gas in the race for the Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid forward wants to make the most of the visibility that comes with playing for the Spanish giants after a season in which his scoring numbers were extraordinary, even if they did not come with major silverware. The release of the 30-name shortlist, which includes four Madrid players, has triggered a campaign in which the Frenchman has started moving his pieces both on the pitch and in the media.

• Mbappé steps up his media appearances after the 30-name Ballon d'Or shortlist is announced.
• The Frenchman highlights being the top scorer in last season's league, Champions League and World Cup.
• José Mourinho and Thierry Henry have publicly backed his bid for the award.
• Real Madrid is rebuilding ties with the award's organizers after the 2024 Rodri fallout.
• Mbappé gives an interview to France Football, the award's co-organizer alongside UEFA, which will air this weekend.

Mbappé makes his case before the Champions League spotlight

On Monday, at the press conference before Real Madrid's Champions League opener, Mbappé delivered a message that sounded like a statement of intent. The fact that he was chosen to face reporters did not look like a coincidence, especially given the content of his words. The French international directly linked his arrival at Madrid with the race for the award and pointed out that many people talk to him about the Ballon d'Or. He added that the summer allowed him to make history and that this could be a good year, as long as voters do their part.

That message will continue this weekend with the full broadcast of an interview granted to France Football, the award's co-organizer alongside UEFA. In a preview leaked to the media, Mbappé doubles down on the same idea and points to an achievement he considers overwhelming: becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, ahead of every major legend of the tournament. In his view, it is a global event that leaves a lasting mark, and he closes the argument bluntly by saying his vote would go to himself.

Mourinho's backing and Real Madrid's return to the scene

The campaign started even before the player himself raised his voice. On August 28, José Mourinho shared one of his trademark lengthy reflections during his second spell in charge of the Madrid bench. Without explicitly naming the Parisian-born striker, the Portuguese coach suggested the Ballon d'Or should recognize players who leave an eternal legacy and that, in his view, there are two, three or four of them, and everybody knows who they are. He added that one of them made individual history this summer.

You cannot hand the Ballon d'Or to someone just because they won the Champions League or the World Cup. This is the great tribute. The best in the world is a different matter. We know where they are: here.

That support comes after a turbulent 2024 for the club. Real Madrid cancelled its presence at the Paris gala when it learned that Vinicius would not win the award, which eventually went to Rodri, despite the Brazilian having won the Champions League and LaLiga with stellar performances. That rift now appears to be on the mend thanks to the thawing relationship between Florentino Pérez and Aleksander Ceferin, in a context where politics always ends up playing a role in this kind of award.

Record-breaking numbers without team trophies to back them

In a year without a clear favorite, Mbappé is leaning on a level of productivity that borders on unprecedented. He was the top scorer in last season's league, the Champions League and the World Cup, although that efficiency did not translate into any major team title. At the World Cup he added another layer to his legacy by becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, despite having taken part in only three editions. Those numbers support his candidacy even without collective trophies to underline them.

The start of the new season with Real Madrid keeps that momentum going: five goals in his first five official matches. The Frenchman's attacking output remains one of the strongest calling cards possible, especially with the Ballon d'Or race looking so wide open. Without a dominant frontrunner, individual numbers carry more weight in the debate, and Mbappé knows it.

Carefully chosen media appearances with a clear strategy

Respected voices in European football have joined the Frenchman's cause in recent hours. Thierry Henry, a reference point for French football, has stepped forward to back his compatriot. His comments add to a schedule of appearances that does not look improvised: every interview, every broadcaster and every moment appears chosen to build consensus around the Madrid forward.

The latest stop in that media offensive came on Tuesday with CBS, the world's third-largest television network and the holder of Champions League rights in the United States. Mbappé spoke to that outlet for the first time, a choice that fits his strategy of expanding the reach of his message beyond European audiences. The American market carries more and more weight in global football, and the Frenchman has decided to make his presence felt there too.

A Ballon d'Or race more open than ever

The lack of an absolute dominant force last season has turned the Ballon d'Or race into a contest with no clear owner. Mbappé enters the fight backed by his numbers, but also by the push that comes with wearing the Real Madrid shirt, a club historically linked to this award. The player himself admitted in his latest appearance that people associate the Spanish club with the trophy, and that connection works in his favor.

The Frenchman is not the only one who has ramped up his public presence this week. Lamine Yamal and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have also made moves to place themselves in the conversation, in a battle that promises to be one of the most contested in years. With the backing of his coach, of legends like Henry and of a club accustomed to winning, Mbappé dives headfirst into a fight that has only just begun.