Can Mbappé snatch the Ballon d'Or?

Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, star of Real Madrid, believes he has strong reasons to compete for the Ballon d'Or, given the new criteria that focus more on individual performance, decisive moments, and the impact a player has within their team.

According to the French newspaper "L'Équipe", Kylian Mbappé realizes that winning titles alone is no longer a guarantee for the Ballon d'Or, especially after experiencing a similar situation in 2018, when he was crowned with the France national team at the FIFA World Cup and scored a goal in the final, but did not win the award that year.

Mbappé believes his individual level, along with his ability to make a difference in important matches, gives him a real chance to enter the race for the award, especially considering the importance of a player's direct impact on his team's results.

At the same time, Mbappé may receive strong support from Real Madrid, which has a long history of backing its Ballon d'Or candidates by highlighting their achievements and superiority over competitors.

L'Équipe reports that Real Madrid previously followed this strategy clearly in 2013, when prominent figures within the club, including Alfredo Di Stéfano, Emilio Butragueño, Carlo Ancelotti, Iker Casillas, and Sergio Ramos, came forward to affirm Cristiano Ronaldo's right to win the award.

In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo successfully claimed the Ballon d'Or for 2013, outperforming Frenchman Franck Ribéry.

As the Ballon d'Or race heats up, it seems Kylian Mbappé wants to leave nothing to chance, while Real Madrid may play an important role in supporting their French star's chances in the coming weeks.