At just 26 years old, Kylian Mbappé has etched his name alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of only three players in football history to earn eight Ballon d’Or nominations by that age. The French superstar’s latest recognition comes on the back of a glittering 2024–25 debut season with Real Madrid, where he scored an astounding 44 goals, claimed his first European Golden Boot, and secured the prestigious Pichichi Trophy as La Liga’s top scorer.
Mbappé’s journey to this historic landmark began in 2017, when, as an 18-year-old playing for Monaco, he became the youngest player ever to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or—a record now held by Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Since that first nod, the France international has been on the shortlist every year except 2020, when the award was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His tally of eight nominations by 26 places him in the rarefied company of Messi and Ronaldo, football’s two undisputed icons of the modern era.
Messi and Ronaldo had both already lifted multiple Ballon d’Or trophies by this point in their careers—Messi winning his first at 22 in 2009, Ronaldo at 23 in 2008. Between them, they hold a staggering 13 Ballon d’Or titles, a dominance unmatched in football history. Mbappé, though widely regarded as one of the finest players in the world, is still in search of his first triumph in the award’s glittering history.
Despite his prolific scoring and seamless adaptation to life at the Santiago Bernabéu, Mbappé’s chances of winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or appear slim. Real Madrid’s failure to secure a major trophy last season has weighed heavily against him in the eyes of voters. Current favorites include PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and the electrifying Yamal, whose breakthrough season with Barcelona has made him a frontrunner for the sport’s top individual honor.
Still, Mbappé’s entry into the same statistical bracket as Messi and Ronaldo is a testament to his extraordinary consistency and elite status in the game. While the Ballon d’Or itself may elude him for now, his achievements at such a young age suggest that his moment could yet come—and when it does, it will feel like the natural progression of a career built for greatness.
