Kylian Mbappé Honest About Ballon d’Or Chances: “I Can’t Win This Year”
SME News UK. Paris, September 10, 2025 — Kylian Mbappé has played down his chances of winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or, despite a prolific first season at Real Madrid. The French superstar, who made a high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, believes this year’s award will go to someone else — and he’s perfectly at peace with that.With less than two weeks to go until the prestigious ceremony in Paris on September 22, Mbappé is keeping his expectations realistic.> “I can’t win this year,” the 26-year-old told L’Équipe with a laugh.“I can’t choose between two friends. What matters is that their performances are recognised. And, for both of them, I would be very happy either way.”The friends he’s referring to are Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi, both former PSG teammates and standout performers in the 2024/25 season. Both played key roles in Paris Saint-Germain’s historic UEFA Champions League triumph — a title that has eluded Mbappé throughout his career.While the Ballon d’Or remains a dream for the prolific forward, he maintains there are no regrets about his decision to leave PSG.> “My story was over, and I left with no regrets,” he said.“Even the things I did wrong are part of my story. When I played there, we came very close — two semi-finals and one final. We didn’t win, and my time was up.”Mbappé’s switch to Real Madrid marked the beginning of a new chapter — one he calls the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition.> “Real Madrid was calling me; it’s always been my dream. I could have left earlier…”Despite falling short in both La Liga and the Champions League with Madrid last season, Mbappé continued to deliver on the pitch, finishing with an impressive individual goal tally and leading from the front for both club and country.Now back on international duty, Mbappé has reunited with a dynamic French squad that includes fellow Ballon d’Or nominees Michael Olise and Desire Doué.> “Does this team have the potential to be the best? 100 percent,” Mbappé said.“Will it be? It’s up to us. Players are arriving younger and younger. We’re no longer afraid to call up a player who’s in his first season or has fewer than 100 professional matches.”France has already faced Ukraine and Iceland this month as part of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Their next fixture is scheduled for October 10 against Azerbaijan.As for the Ballon d’Or, while Mbappé’s humility might keep him from declaring himself a favorite, the football world will be watching closely to see if this could finally be the year he claims the sport’s most coveted individual prize.
