- Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois weighed in on the 2026 Ballon d'Or race between Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal
- Courtois backed Mbappe as individually the best player of the year but acknowledged a collective trophy shortfall could hurt him
- The Belgian goalkeeper also reflected on Yamal's World Cup and La Liga success, questioning whether voting criteria fairly separate the two
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has voiced his support for teammate Kylian Mbappe in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race, while conceding that the absence of collective silverware could work against the French captain when voters cast their ballots.
Both Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal have emerged as some of the frontrunners for the award after standout seasons.
Source: Getty Images
Mbappe won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga and the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, while Yamal claimed La Liga with Barcelona and a World Cup winners' medal with Spain.
Speaking via Sports Mole, Courtois posed a question that cuts to the heart of the Ballon d'Or debate via Sports Mole:
“I think Kylian deserves it, but people vote according to their own logic. Do we choose someone who has won titles or someone who has been above everyone else throughout the season, even without winning anything?"
He elaborated on his view of Mbappe's individual contribution:
“I'm thinking particularly of Kylian. I believe that individually, nobody has been better than Kylian, but unfortunately, we didn't win anything collectively.”
The remarks align with a position Mbappe himself had previously put forward, and Courtois made clear he agrees with that assessment. However, he acknowledged that the voting logic of Ballon d'Or electors does not always reward individual brilliance alone.
Courtois also turned his attention to Yamal's campaign, offering a more measured take on the teenage Barcelona star's year.
“For me, Lamine Yamal had a slightly worse World Cup, but he won the World Cup, the league title with Barcelona and had a good year overall,” he said.
The goalkeeper suggested the Ballon d'Or criteria may be poorly suited to separating two players who each had exceptional years by different measures, with one excelling individually and the other accumulating team honours.
Courtois himself has a personal stake in the Ballon d'Or ceremony, having received a nomination for the Yashin Trophy, the award reserved for the best goalkeeper of the year, which he won in 2022.
Rice backs Kane for Ballon d'Or
Legit.ng previously reported that Declan Rice backed Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
The England international sided with his Three Lions teammate after Bayern Munich and Arsenal played a 2-2 draw in the Champions League.
Source: Legit.ng
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