Kylian Mbappe Welcomes Ballon d'Or Conversation Following Historic World Cup Achievements

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe believes it is completely natural for observers to view him as a leading contender for this year's Ballon d'Or following his remarkable performances at the World Cup. Serving as the France captain, he netted 10 goals during the summer tournament to secure the Golden Boot while helping his country finish in fourth place. With a career total of 22 goals in the competition, he now stands as the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer, though the 27-year-old has yet to claim the prestigious individual award.

"I think that when you play for Real Madrid, which is the best club in the world, naturally people associate you with that kind of award, they associate you with collective awards, individual awards," Kylian Mbappe shared with reporters. Reflecting on his reception, he added, "A lot of people, when they see me in the street, talk to me about the Ballon d'Or, a lot of people talk about me as a possible Ballon d'Or winner... Of course, I made a lot of history this summer in the most important competition in sport, but we'll see. I have the feeling that it's a good year for that, but there's still a long time to go, and people are free to vote for whoever they think is the best player in the world."

Since arriving at Real Madrid in 2024, Kylian Mbappe has maintained a high scoring rate, yet the club has struggled to secure a major trophy. On Tuesday, the record 15-time European champions are set to host Inter Milan at the start of the Champions League league phase. Over his first two seasons in Madrid, the squad has often appeared unbalanced. Critics have suggested that several star players, including the Frenchman and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior, have not contributed sufficiently to the collective effort, contrasting with the output of Ousmane Dembele at Paris Saint-Germain and Raphinha at Barcelona.

Addressing the criticism, Kylian Mbappe admitted, "We have to improve. But I could play dumb and tell you that I score more goals than [Dembele and Raphinha], and that they need to score more goals to be like me. Everyone is different, but I want to do things intelligently and say that of course I have to improve and all that, but I don't like comparisons because I think I do a lot of things that others don't do."

Recently, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho remarked that he would prefer fewer goals from Kylian Mbappe if it meant greater defensive and collective work to help secure titles. The player responded that he would happily accept lower goal numbers if it guaranteed trophies, though he emphasized the two goals are not mutually exclusive. "I'd take 30 goals with titles, yes, but… for me it's an absurd debate," Kylian Mbappe stated. "I always want to score goals and win titles… you don't have to choose, you can do both things."

As preparations continue, coach Jose Mourinho prepares to face familiar opposition. The veteran Portuguese manager previously led Inter Milan to Champions League glory in 2010 at the Santiago Bernabeu before moving to Real Madrid. Despite his deep history with the Italian club, Jose Mourinho maintained that past ties are set aside during competition. "There aren't many [people] left from my time, but it'll always be a pleasure to see people, even if I don't know them, but people who defend Inter, before and after," Jose Mourinho said. "During the game I want to win, they want to win, and there won't be time to think about things from a wonderful past."

Inter coach Cristian Chivu, who featured in the 2010 final under his upcoming opponent, shared his admiration for the manager. "Mourinho is a special person, and I was lucky to have encountered him," Cristian Chivu noted, describing the Portuguese tactician as a proven winner. "There are few in the world like him. He showed it here but at other big clubs too. I'm sure Real Madrid will have a great season."

Ahead of Tuesday's fixture, Jose Mourinho is demanding a strong response from his squad following their first defeat of the season, a 1-0 setback against Real Betis in La Liga on Friday. "I want to win. I could tell you I want to play well, but I don't want to play well like we did against Betis and lose," Jose Mourinho concluded.