Can Kylian Mbappe still win Ballon d’Or despite a trophyless season?

Since the announcement of the 30–men nominee list for the Ballon d’Or, various predictions and narratives have been gaining ground on social media platforms.

There is a greater possibility for Harry Kane winning this challenge because of his extraordinary goalscoring season and trophy haul. On the other hand, Lamine Yamal’s case of winning this award is also strong on the grounds of his success with Barcelona and winning the World Cup for Spain.

Other notable names are also mentioned in the list including Lionel Messi, Rodri and Erling Haaland.

Kylian Mbappe also made his entry to the list and he still believed that he is worthy of winning the Ballon d’Or award despite not winning any silverware for Real Madrid during the season.

In an interview with France Football, the 27-year-old doubled down on his case for winning the prestigious award.

“I believe I can win it this year. It’s one of my goals, and a short-term one at that. People say I didn’t win a trophy (for club or country), but it’s an individual award. I’ve never seen a Ballon d’Or winner elected unanimously,” Mbappe said.

“Has anyone ever won with 100% of the vote? That means there’s always someone who thought the winner didn’t deserve it.”

Kylian Mbappé's individual statistics anchor his case. He scored 25 goals in La Liga and added 15 in the Champions League, prior to securing a defining milestone on the international stage.

By lifting his career World Cup tally to 22 goals, the France captain surpassed Lionel Messi to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer at only 27 years old.

“There was no player better than me. We were talking about achievements. To score that many goals in the major competitions, where all the great players are ... .that was all people talked to me about,” he said.

The football star continued, “My idea of the Ballon d’Or comes from the Messi and Ronaldo era—you don’t give it to ordinary players, you give it to players who are different. I think I did things that were different this year, so I believe I can win it.”