Kylian Mbappe faces juror fatigue in Ballon d’Or race

Kylian Mbappe’s attempt to strengthen his 2026 Ballon d’Or candidacy may have produced the opposite effect, with several jurors said to be tired of his intense late media campaign. The Real Madrid forward has used a series of interviews to promote his case as voting reaches its final stage.

Mbappe’s media activity came during the last two weeks of September, when he spoke to several major outlets before the ballots closed. Pascal Ferré, the former editor of France Football, considered the strategy unusual and questioned whether repeated interviews could affect voters’ choices. Ferré said jurors with whom he remains in contact had grown weary of the approach.

He also argued that Mbappe was unlikely to influence international voters simply through a run of interviews, citing jurors from Peru, Finland and Cameroon as examples. The comments add pressure to a campaign that was designed to leave a strong impression before the award ceremony.

Mbappe has finished in the Ballon d’Or top three only once, taking third place in 2023, when Lionel Messi won the prize. The France captain is currently fourth among the leading contenders, behind Spain’s Lamine Yamal and England’s Harry Kane, who are viewed as having stronger claims. The 2026 ceremony is due to take place in London on October 26.