Kylian Mbappe has confirmed he will not attend this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, despite enjoying an impressive debut season at Real Madrid.
The French forward scored 44 goals in all competitions last season and finished as La Liga’s top scorer. However, Madrid’s failure to lift a trophy means Mbappe is not considered a serious contender for the 2025 Golden Ball.
After netting twice in Real Madrid’s 3-2 comeback win over Marseille in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, Mbappe told CBS Sports that he would watch the Paris gala from home.
“To win it, you have to win trophies. I have to help my club win titles, and then we’ll see,” Mbappe said. “I will be happy if Dembélé wins because he is my friend and I have supported him from the start. I will watch it on TV and hope that he wins it.”
While Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha impressed in their treble-winning season, Ousmane Dembele’s exploits with Paris Saint-Germain have made him one of the favourites for the award. Dembele scored 35 goals and registered 16 assists as PSG won a historic treble before adding the UEFA Super Cup with a win over Tottenham.
The only blemish in PSG’s campaign came at the FIFA Club World Cup final, where they were beaten by Chelsea.
Dembele, however, is currently sidelined with an injury picked up during the international break and will miss PSG’s Champions League opener against Atalanta on Wednesday.
