Historic triumph in London
French striker Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain was awarded the 2026 Ballon d'Or during the ceremony held on Monday in London. This triumph follows a season filled with remarkable statistics and records, succeeding Englishman Harry Kane, who previously held the award.
Record-breaking numbers and an exceptional season
The 26-year-old player, who won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup with his national team this season, received the award primarily in recognition of his exceptional goal-scoring activity. Mbappé scored 44 goals for Paris Saint-Germain, who reached the Champions League final, and his tally rose to 73 goals when including his goals for the French national team, which won the 2026 World Cup.
Thus, Mbappé became the first Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or since Karim Benzema in 2022. He did not surpass Lionel Messi's record of 91 goals in a single season (2011-2012), but his performance this year was considered historic due to the combination of club and international titles.
Other awards and Kane tops the scorers list
As for Englishman Harry Kane, he paid the price for not winning any major titles during the 2026 season, despite his exceptional individual numbers, as he topped the scoring charts in the German Bundesliga and the Champions League, and became the all-time top scorer in the Champions League. The intensive media campaign that accompanied him in recent weeks did not affect the jury's vote.
In the coaches category, the best coach award went to Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Spanish national team that won the World Cup. In the goalkeepers category, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón, who also won the World Cup with his national team, received the award. Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the Champions League for the second consecutive season, also won the best club of the year award, repeating their achievement from 2025.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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