Thibaut Courtois: “The Ballon d’Or should go to Kylian Mbappé”!

Real Madrid’s Belgian international goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has revealed his choice for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. In his view, the prestigious award should go to his teammate Kylian Mbappé.

Ballon d’Or: Courtois picks Mbappé and heaps praise on Raphinha

Speaking on the “Radioestadio Noche” show on Onda Cero, the Madrid goalkeeper clearly expressed his preference for the French forward, whom he considers his favourite to win the trophy.

“The Ballon d’Or should go to Mbappé. Everyone is impressed by his speed and his goals. I think the trophy should reward the best player, not the one who has won the most titles,” Courtois explained.

The Belgian goalkeeper then cited Dani Carvajal to illustrate his point: “If we followed that logic, Carvajal should have won the Ballon d’Or two years ago.”

Courtois also spoke about Raphinha, the Brazilian FC Barcelona forward whose qualities he particularly appreciates.

“I really admire Raphinha. He is a very important player for his team and he scores a lot of goals. He may not receive the recognition he deserves. We will have to stop him in the Clasico,” he said.

Courtois’ choice comes as the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or continues, with several leading contenders, including Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal. The winner’s name will be revealed on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the ceremony held in London.

Thibaut Courtois sends a message to Real Madrid fans!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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