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2026 Ballon d’Or: He’s the best – Courtois names player to win award
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has endorsed his teammate Kylian Mbappe as the frontrunner for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award. In a recent interview on Onda Cero’s Radioestadio Noche, Courtois stated that he believes Mbappe has been the best player in the world during the past year.
Courtois emphasized that the criteria for the prestigious award should focus on individual performance rather than the number of trophies accumulated. “The Ballon d’Or should be for who has been the best player in the world this year, not necessarily who won the most trophies,” he said.
In his view, “For me, it is Mbappe.”
Mbappe is one of 30 players nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with the winner to be announced on October 26.
