Ballon d’Or, Francis Ngannou backs Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé was awarded second place in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, behind Harry Kane, at Monday evening's ceremony. Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou, originally from Cameroon, publicly expressed his support for the Real Madrid striker.
The unexpected support from Francis Ngannou
On his social media, Ngannou wrote: « Popular or unpopular opinion, but for me, Kylian Mbappé is the winner of the Ballon d’Or this year ». He added: « Huge congratulations to the legendary Harry Kane on his win, and to all the nominees for keeping us entertained throughout the season ». The fighter also congratulated Kane, calling him a legend.
Extraordinary individual performances
At 27, the former PSG striker delivered a remarkable season, finishing top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup. These statistics could have earned him his first Ballon d’Or of his career. He now plays for Real Madrid, a club that finished the season without a trophy.
The French collective also lacked success: France were eliminated in the semi‑final of the 2026 World Cup against Spain. This lack of collective trophies probably weighed on the voters’ judgment, despite Mbappé’s individual performances.
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The vote ultimately crowned Harry Kane, who outpaced Mbappé and the young Lamine Yamal. The decision continues to divide observers, some believing Mbappé’s statistics deserved the win.
This second place is Mbappé’s best finish at the Ballon d’Or after nine editions without ever winning the award. It confirms his status among the biggest stars of world football, while leaving a sense of unfinished business.
Mbappé has already achieved major individual successes: he won the Kopa Trophy in 2018, shared the Gerd Müller Trophy in 2024 with Kane, each scoring 52 goals this season, and lifted the World Cup in 2018 at 19.
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Francis Ngannou’s support shows that the French captain’s performances leave no one indifferent, even outside football. Mbappé will now need to combine his individual exploits with collective successes to finally lift the Ballon d’Or in future editions.