Ballon d’Or: Kylian Mbappé’s nine rankings since his first nomination

Still without a trophy

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Ballon d’Or: Kylian Mbappé’s nine rankings since his first nomination

Kylian Mbappé finished second in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, behind Harry Kane, who was crowned on Monday, October 26, in London. Since his first nomination in 2017, the French forward has appeared in the award’s final ranking nine times, without ever managing to win the trophy.

At 18, Mbappé had already entered the ranks of the best players on the planet. His season with AS Monaco, marked by a Ligue 1 title and a Champions League semi-final appearance, enabled him to finish seventh in 2017. A year later, his World Cup triumph with the France national team in Russia opened the door to the top five, as he finished fourth in 2018.

Consistent results in the top 10

The Frenchman then experienced more uneven rankings. Sixth in 2019, he finished ninth in 2021 before returning to sixth place in 2022. In 2023, he reached the podium for the first time, finishing third behind Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

That result remained his best ranking until the 2026 edition. In 2024, Mbappé finished sixth before dropping to seventh in 2025. His second-place finish this year therefore gives him his best-ever result in the Ballon d’Or, even though the trophy continues to elude him.

Harry Kane ahead of Mbappé in 2026

In this 70th edition, the Real Madrid forward was beaten by Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich striker was rewarded after a particularly productive 2025-2026 season, with 73 goals scored for club and country in all competitions. He becomes the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

Mbappé will therefore have to wait in the hope of joining the French winners of this distinction. Despite his performances and his nine appearances in the final ranking, he has still not won the individual award created in 1956.