Soccer
Why Does Kylian Mbappé Deserve the Ballon d'Or?
42 goals for Real Madrid and another 10 at the World Cup! Kylian Mbappé has the numbers to make a compelling Ballon d'Or case, but with no major team trophies to his name, one question remains: are his goals enough to win?… Show More
42 goals for Real Madrid and another 10 at the World Cup! Kylian Mbappé has the numbers to make a compelling Ballon d'Or case, but with no major team trophies to his name, one question remains: are his goals enough to win?
Kylian Mbappé enters the Ballon d'Or conversation with one undeniable strength: his extraordinary goalscoring record.
At 27, the French superstar scored 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid, establishing himself as one of the season's most prolific attackers.
His tally included 25 goals in LaLiga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League, finishing as the leading scorer in both competitions.
Yet there is a significant contrast at the heart of his candidacy. While Mbappé delivered outstanding individual numbers, major team success remained out of reach.
The video accompanying this article features comments from Mbappé himself and other voices in the game, including Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni, as the debate over his Ballon d'Or credentials continues.
Inside Mbappé's 42-goal season at Real Madrid
Mbappé's ability to find the net was one of the defining features of his campaign.
In the UEFA Champions League, the French forward scored 15 goals, although 13 came during the group stage.
His remaining two goals came against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, scoring in both legs. Despite his efforts, Real Madrid were eliminated.
In LaLiga, Mbappé finished with 25 goals, but his output slowed during the final stretch of the season.
He scored just twice across the last 15 matchdays, missing six games during that period because of injuries and spells on the bench.
Real Madrid ultimately finished second, leaving Mbappé without a league title to strengthen his Ballon d'Or case.
The missing trophies in Mbappé's Ballon d'Or campaign
The biggest weakness in Mbappé's candidacy is not his individual production, but the absence of major team trophies.
Real Madrid exited the Champions League in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich and finished as runners-up in LaLiga.
In the Copa del Rey, Madrid suffered a round-of-16 elimination against Albacete, a match Mbappé did not play.
The Spanish Super Cup also slipped away, with Barcelona defeating Real Madrid in the final. Mbappé entered that match short of full fitness.
Despite his remarkable scoring numbers, the Frenchman ended the campaign without the major club honors that could have further strengthened his Ballon d'Or credentials.
Ten World Cup goals, but no final for France
Mbappé's international campaign followed a similar pattern.
Representing France, he finished as the World Cup's leading scorer with ten goals, once again showcasing his ability to deliver on the biggest stage.
However, his goals were not enough to take France to the final.
Mbappé failed to score in the semifinal against Spain, which ended France's hopes of lifting the trophy.
His World Cup performance added considerable weight to his individual case, but it also reinforced the central question surrounding his candidacy: can personal brilliance make up for missing out on team success?
Can goals alone win Mbappé the Ballon d'Or?
Mbappé's candidacy raises one of the award's most compelling questions: how much should individual performance matter compared with collective success?
His 42 goals for Real Madrid and ten at the World Cup provide a powerful argument. But Champions League and World Cup exits, combined with a campaign without major club trophies, complicate the picture.
Comments from Mbappé and perspectives from figures such as Tchouaméni add another dimension to the discussion in the accompanying video.
The debate is not whether Mbappé was one of the season's outstanding goalscorers. It is whether those numbers are enough to overcome rival candidates with stronger team achievements.
Three numbers behind Mbappé's Ballon d'Or case
- 42 goals in 44 matches: His remarkable scoring record for Real Madrid is the foundation of his candidacy.
- 15 Champions League goals and 25 in LaLiga: Mbappé topped the scoring charts in both competitions but failed to win either title.
- 10 World Cup goals: He finished as the tournament's leading scorer, although France were eliminated by Spain in the semifinals.
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