Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on Monday, with Kylian Mbappe finishing as runner-up. SI analyzed why Mbappe did not win the 2026 award and what would likely be enough for him to win a future Ballon d’Or.
The result and the margin
SI reported that Mbappe lost by an “extremely small” margin, citing France Football’s Vincent Garcia.
Mbappe's 2025–26 numbers
SI reported that Mbappe recorded 58 goals and 13 assists for club and country in 2025–26. SI reported that he won the Pichichi Trophy in 2025–26 with 25 goals in 31 league appearances. SI reported that he scored 15 goals in 11 Champions League appearances in 2025–26. SI also reported that Mbappe became the first player to finish as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup in the same season.
Team outcomes
SI reported that Mbappe scored 10 times for France as the team finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup. SI also reported that Mbappe did not win a single major trophy in either of his first two seasons at Real Madrid.
His start to 2026–27
SI reported that Mbappe found the net 14 times in 13 appearances so far in 2026–27. SI reported that he has three goals in three Champions League appearances so far in 2026–27.
