Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says no player was better than teammate Kylian Mbappé last season, but he admits the 2026 Ballon d’Or could go to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal because of the trophies Yamal won. Speaking to DAZN on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Courtois, 34, questioned whether voters should reward the best individual or the biggest winner. The award will be presented Monday, Oct. 26, at the London Palladium.
His comments came hours before Mbappé scored again in Madrid’s 4 to 1 Champions League win over RB Leipzig, and days before El Clásico. Real Madrid visit Barcelona on Sunday, Oct. 25, one day before the ceremony.
Why does Courtois think Mbappé deserves the Ballon d’Or 2026?
Courtois said that individually, nobody was better than Mbappé, but Real Madrid didn’t win anything as a team. The numbers back his point. Mbappé won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, even though France finished fourth. He also finished as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Why might Lamine Yamal win instead?
Courtois acknowledged that Yamal had a slightly weaker World Cup but won it with Spain and also won La Liga with Barcelona. Trophies have often swung this vote, and Yamal has the bigger collection. Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is also in the mix after a prolific season, and some outlets see Kane and Yamal leading the race.
What did Courtois say about Rodri’s 2024 win?
Courtois used the 2024 vote to show how confusing the criteria can be. Manchester City midfielder Rodri won that year after taking the Premier League and Euro 2024 with Spain. Madrid expected Vinícius Júnior or Dani Carvajal to win after their Champions League title, and the club stayed away from the ceremony. Vinícius, a Black Brazilian star who has been one of the loudest voices against racist abuse in Spanish stadiums, finished second.
Courtois said Rodri’s best year was actually the season before, when City won the treble. That award went to Lionel Messi after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup. For Courtois, the shifting logic is the problem.
Has Mbappé always wanted to win the Ballon d’Or?
Since he was a boy. Former Arsenal player Gilles Grimandi told GOAL that when he and Arsène Wenger visited a 17-year-old Mbappé during transfer talks, Mbappé’s mother told Wenger her son would win the Ballon d’Or one day. Grimandi said he was embarrassed by the boldness of it.
A decade later, Mbappé, now 27, has become PSG’s all-time leading scorer and a record-setting forward for France. The Ballon d’Or is the one honor still missing. Legends like Thierry Henry and Andrés Iniesta never won it either.
How does Ballon d’Or 2026 voting work?
Journalists from 100 countries vote for the men’s award, based on the last club season and the summer World Cup. Sunday’s Clásico won’t change any ballots. This year marks the award’s 70th anniversary and its first ceremony in London. The Palladium was chosen to honor Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956.
Who will win the Ballon d’Or 2026?
On Sunday, Mbappé and Yamal will share the same field in Barcelona. On Monday night, one of them, or Kane, will walk away with the Golden Ball.
Courtois has made his case. The question he asked, whether a season of greatness without trophies can beat a season full of them, is about to get its answer.
