"This could be his year" - Jamie Carragher names Real Madrid star as his favourite to win 2026 Ballon d'Or 

Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher reckons Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe stands a good chance of winning this year's Ballon d'Or. The Frenchman is in the midst of a solid season with club and country.

Mbappe, 27, has struck 29 times and provided five assists in 24 games across competitions for Los Blancos. That includes a league-leading 18 stikes in La Liga and a further nine in the UEFA Champions League, where the Frenchman is the top-scorer.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner also netted five times and assisted thrice in France's successful campaign for this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

In his column for the Telegraph, Carragher wrote about Mbappe's Ballon d'Or chances this year as he tipped France to go all the way at the World Cup:

"In a World Cup year, the Ballon d’Or is always won by the star player of the victorious country. As France are my prediction to win in the United States, this could be Kylian Mbappé’s year. He was third, behind Lionel Messi and Haaland, after France were beaten in the last World Cup."

The former Paris Saint-Germain man has never finished higher than third in the Ballon d'Or rankings, which he achieved in 2023 after a fine season with club and country.

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Who's the last Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or?

Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo won four Ballon d'Or awards while he was at the club.

Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, also the club's all-time top scorer (450 goals), is Los Blancos' most successful Ballon d'Or winner, winning four of his five awards while he was at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2009 and 2018.

However, he's not the last Madrid player to win the coveted award. Midfielder Luka Modric ended Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's 10-year Ballon d'Or duopoly in 2018 after winning a third straight UEFA Champions League title and taking Croatia to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, losing 4-2 to Kylian Mbappe's France in Moscow.

Four years later, Karim Benzema - now at Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal - became the latest Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or, 12th overall, going level with Barcelona for most Ballon d'Or wins.

In 2024, attacker Vinicius Junior came close to winning the honour but lost out to Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who won a fourth straight Premier League title and the European Championships with Spain.

Edited by Bhargav