Will Kylian Mbappe Win the Ballon d’Or Before Retirement?

The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award handed out each year by French magazine France Football. The award is given to the player judged to have had the most successful twelve months in the professional game. The list of nominees is created by a panel of football journalists with each member of the committee asked to submit their top five picks. The judging is based on a player’s performance between August – July with team success and player behaviour also factored into the equation.

It has been awarded every year since its inception in 1956, and although it was originally limited to just European-based players, it has subsequently expanded to incorporate the worldwide game. George Weah was the first non-European player to pick up the award in 1995.

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Who are the Previous Winners?

Spanish midfielder Rodri is the latest winner of this prestigious award following his performances for Manchester City. He was also part of the Spain squad that lifted the World Cup in Germany this summer.

Stanley Matthews was the first-ever winner of the Ballon d’Or, however, Lionel Messi is the most decorated player of all-time with eight Ballon d’Or victories. Other recent winners include Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Other notable winners include Andriy Shevchenko, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio, Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit.

Who is Kylian Mbappe and What are his Achievements?

Kylian Mbappe is one of the most recognisable footballers on the planet. The Frenchman rose to fame at Monaco before signing for PSG in 2017. The striker is widely regarded as one of the best finishers in the world and is famed for his ability to dribble past the opposition.

The Paris-born star signed for PSG for an eye-watering 180million EURO making him the most expensive teenager of all time.

Mbappe is currently plying his trade at Real Madrid having swapped the Parc des Princes for the Bernabeu this summer.

In 2018, he became the youngest player to score at a World Cup and has been instumental in Les Bleus’ recent success at international tournaments. He followed in the footsteps of one of the all-time greats – Pele – by becoming just the second teenager to score at a World Cup.

Four years later, Mbappe won the Golden Boot as he helped his side to reach the final in Qatar. He also set the record for the most goals scored in a World Cup final having notched three times in his side’s topsy-turvy encounter with Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Although he has been named in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season four times, he is yet to lift the Champions League trophy. His move to Real Madrid was viewed as his best chance of fulfilling this ambition.

Has Kylian Mbappe been Nominated for the Ballon d’Or?

The French superstar came third in 2023 , finishing behind World Cup-winning hero Lionel Messi and the free-scoring Erling Haaland.

Although he didn’t make the top three, Mbappe became the youngest player to be nominated for the award back in 2017. He was also on the shortlist last for the 2024 honour.

Is he Likely to Win the Ballon d’Or?

Mbappe is a unique talent and he cannot be discounted. As a 25-year old, his best years may still be ahead of him. However, his recent fallout with French boss Didier Deschamps has resulted in him quitting the national team. Without international football to showcase his talents, he is unlikely to be at the forefront of the judging panel’s minds.

Furthermore, he appears to have joined Real Madrid during a fairly unsettled time. Los Blancos are trailing rivals Barcelona in the La Liga standings and were beaten 4-0 by Blaugrana at the start of the 2024-25 season. Carlo Ancelotti has started to come under pressure from some sections of the media and may decide to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.

Mbappe would be a worthy winner, however, he is unlikely to challenge for the award in 2025. Nevertheless, he still has plenty of time remaining to reapture his earlier form.

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