Ballon d'Or 2026: Mustapha Hadji names his favorite

Just four days remain before the 2026 Ballon d’Or is awarded. Former Morocco international Mustapha Hadji has chosen his clear winner.

In his ranking, Mustapha Hadji put Lamine Yamal at the top. The Moroccan is captivated by the talent, entertainment and maturity of the young Spanish prodigy. Not only does he see him winning the award, but he also predicts an even brighter future for him.

"He is a player who, when I watch him play, makes me love football. What Lamine Yamal is achieving at his age is exceptional, and he will continue to improve. During the 2025/26 season, he won the Spanish league and, above all, the World Cup, even though he did not have an extraordinary tournament. It is effective, spectacular football, and he is building on very high standards again this season, whether with his club or his national team. And I think he will win the Ballon d’Or again," said the Moroccan.

Mustapha Hadji puts Mbappé behind Yamal

For the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Mustapha Hadji placed Kylian Mbappé second. The former Morocco international highlights the French striker’s impressive statistics: he was the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, despite a season without a team trophy.

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"His season is a special one: he finished as the top scorer in La Liga (31 goals), the Champions League (15 goals) and the World Cup (10 goals), but he did not win any trophies, either with France or Real Madrid. He therefore owes his second place to his individual performances. Kylian Mbappé did his job very well with Real, in a team that did not play particularly high-quality football. For me, he has been one of the best players in the world for several years," he noted.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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