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Thibaut Courtois backs Kylian Mbappe to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, insisting that nobody has been better than the Real Madrid forward individually.
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Mbappe scored 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid and finished as the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.
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Courtois questions the Ballon d’Or voting criteria, arguing that voters must decide between rewarding trophy winners and players who have performed best individually.
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The Belgian goalkeeper provides an update on his Real Madrid contract, expressing his desire to stay at the club for a long time as discussions over the final details continue.
October 21, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has tipped his teammate Kylian Mbappe to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, claiming that nobody has been better than him.
The Belgian shot-stopper believes Mbappe is the most deserving of the award, while questioning the voting criteria for the award.
Mbappe has enjoyed a stellar year for club and country, but he failed to win a single piece of silverware for Real Madrid and France.
He scored 42 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid, finishing as the top scorer in La Liga and in the Champions League.
He also won the top scorer award at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to emerge as the tournament’s all-time goalscorer with 21 goals.
Courtois is backing Mbappe to win the prestigious award ahead of the likes of Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Michael Olise.
He said: “I think Kylian deserves it, but people vote according to their own logic. Do we choose someone who has won trophies, or someone who has been above everyone else throughout the season, even if they have not won anything? I am thinking especially of Kylian. I think individually nobody has been better than Kylian, but unfortunately, we have not won anything collectively.”
The former Chelsea goalkeeper questioned the recent history of the award, while shutting down the chances of Barcelona young star, Lamine Yamal.
Courtois added: “For me, Lamine Yamal had a slightly worse World Cup, but he became world champion, won La Liga with Barcelona, and had a good year.
“I did not think it had been his best year, although he won the European Championship with Spain. The previous year, when City won the Champions League, I think he would have deserved to win it.”
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The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London next Monday.
Courtois also provided an update on his contract at Real Madrid with his current deal set to expire next summer.
He said: “It is not finalised yet. In principle, it should be resolved quickly. There is no problem. We simply need to find time for my agent and my father to discuss the final details.
“I want to stay here for a long time, and I am doing everything I can to make that happen.”
Courtois joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018, and has gone on to establish himself as one of the key players in the team.
He has also won 14 trophies at the Santiago Bernabéu, including two UEFA Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and multiple international and domestic super cups.
