Kylian Mbappe gets clear Ballon d'Or verdict from star who beat him to award

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has never won the Ballon d'Or though he did make it onto the podium in 2023 following his exploits at the previous year's World Cup

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele hopes former club team-mate Kylian Mbappe can follow him in winning the Ballon d'Or. Mbappe welcomed Dembele as a team-mate at PSG in 2023 but then left for Real Madrid 12 months later.

Dembele had a challenging first season in Paris but stepped up in a big way after his friend and compatriot left the Parc des Princes. He scored 35 goals in all competitions last term, including eight in the Champions League, and added six assists in Europe as Luis Enrique's side recovered from a slow start in the league phase to win the competition for the first time.

The reward for Dembele was recognition at the most recent Ballon d'Or ceremony, but he can still see Mbappe following suit. The Real Madrid star has never finished higher than third in the voting, doing so in 2023 when Lionel Messi claimed the most recent of his seven awards.

“He (Mbappe) deserves given the career that he has had," Dembele said this week (via GFFN ). "He’s having a very good start to the season; he just keeps scoring. He’s a friend. I hope he continues like this. And I hope that one day he will win the Ballon d’Or.”

Mbappe has started the 2025/26 season in eye-catching form. He has 10 La Liga goals for Madrid and 15 in all competitions, and is the joint-top scorer in the Champions League after the third round of fixtures.

At international level, Mbappe's goals have helped France close in on a place at the 2026 World Cup. He has scored in three of Les Bleus' four qualifying games, with the 2018 winners assured of qualification if they win at home to Ukraine next month.

He finished as the top scorer at the 2022 World Cup, with a hat-trick in the final taking is tournament total up to eight. France lost the final to Argentina on penalties, though, and it was Messi who ended up claiming the Ballon d'Or as a result.

Mbappe has a chance to continue making his case on Sunday as Real Madrid take on Barcelona in their first Clasico of the new season. He scored a hat-trick away to Hansi Flick's side last term but was unable to prevent a 4-3 defeat which followed a 4-0 home loss earlier in the season.

“I think he looks just as good and the players are just as motivated," Madrid boss Xabi Alonso said of Mbappe ahead of the tie. "We know what the match means and how much we want it. Everyone has recovered well after the Juve game. Raul [Asencio] has recovered well too, and tomorrow is the day.

"We're working on how we can be more efficient and what he needs to do to make an impact and how he can be the most decisive player within the team. It's not just about goals, the quality of the team is improving and he's a key part of that. We're working on that.”