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This Monday, September 22, the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony — one of the most prestigious honors in world soccer — will take place in Paris. Kylian Mbappe is among the finalists for the trophy, based on his performances for Real Madrid and France last season. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from making a significant decision.
“I’ll watch it on television,” Mbappe confirmed this week in a press conference, making it clear he has no plans to travel to Paris for the event. This decision, of course, is not solely his — it’s part of a unified stance by all Real Madrid players.
The Spanish side will be absent from the Ballon d’Or ceremony for the second consecutive year. They also chose not to travel to France in 2024, after learning that Vinicius Junior would not win the main award, which instead went to Manchester City’s Rodri.
Mbappe didn’t just announce he won’t be in Paris next Monday — he was also honest in admitting that he doesn’t believe he has a shot at winning this year’s award. “To win it, you have to win things,” he explained. “So I have to help my club win trophies, and after that, we’ll see.”
Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring a goal during the LaLiga match between Real Madrid and Mallorca.
Indeed, Kylian’s 2024–25 season was outstanding from an individual perspective: he scored 44 goals in 59 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid. However, collectively the team underachieved, winning only the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. In the more significant tournaments — UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and FIFA Club World Cup — Los Blancos came up short.
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