Spectacular own goal? Mbappé's Ballon d'Or campaign is backfiring badly
Kylian Mbappé is fighting hard for his first Ballon d'Or, perhaps too hard. According to explosive new claims, his media campaign is doing him more harm than good.
Details: According to The Touchline, citing journalist Romain Molina, Mbappé's intense media campaign for the Ballon d'Or is having a negative rather than positive effect on his chances of winning the award. Molina reports the PR push is poorly received both in the France squad and at Real Madrid.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on October 26 at the London Palladium, and the race is wide open: Mbappé, who has 81 goal contributions since the start of last season, faces fierce competition from Haaland (75 contributions), Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and reigning winner Ousmane Dembélé. The Frenchman has made no secret of his desire, recently declaring that this could finally be his year, but Molina's report suggests the orchestrated media offensive is grating on the very people whose opinions shape the narrative: his club and international teammates. The timing is delicate too: Mbappé is currently with Zidane's France squad preparing for Nations League clashes against Türkiye and Belgium, and any tension in the dressing room could spill onto the pitch. Voters historically punish perceived arrogance as much as they reward humility, and if this campaign is indeed alienating his camp, Mbappé may be sabotaging the trophy he craves most. October 26 in London will deliver the verdict.
It's worth noting that Mbappé has finished on the Ballon d'Or podium without ever winning it, most notably taking third place in 2023 behind Messi and Haaland.
Reminder: Should Haaland win the Ballon d'Or? Impressive statistics fuel the debate
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
