France captain Kylian Mbappé wants to ‘dedicate’ the Ballon d’Or to Africa should he be crowned

His numerous and recent media appearances around the world leave no doubt as to the intentions of Kylian Mbappé (27). With just a few weeks to go before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the French striker has launched his campaign. He, at any rate, “has a feeling it’s a good year for that”, as he himself explained at a press conference in early September.

Fresh from another personally impressive 2025-26 season, with 42 goals in 44 matches across all competitions, and capped by a memorable World Cup – at the end of which he became the competition’s all-time top scorer – Mbappé believes more than ever in his chances of winning the award.

But if he is to have any hope of finally winning the first Ballon d’Or of his career, Real Madrid’s number 10 has his work cut out for him. First and foremost, he must win over the panel of voters – a body in which Africa and its representatives account for 20 per cent of the votes. When asked, in an interview with RFI, about the importance of these voters in the race for the famous trophy, Mbappé began by saying he wanted to “thank them for the support they have given me over all these years”, before elaborating on his point.

“It’s never changed; I’ve always felt very loved every time I’ve set foot in Africa. Of course, having African roots, it’s always a pleasure to see people associate me with this award; it’s rewarding. I thank them for everything, and I hope to be able to take home the Ballon d’Or so that, in one way or another, I can dedicate it to them,” he concluded.

GFFN | Léo Aschi