Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has made his choice for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, throwing his support behind Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe. The French legend’s comments come after France Football unveiled the 30-man shortlist for this year’s award on Tuesday.
Henry’s Reasoning
Speaking via Foot Mercato, Henry explained why Mbappe stands out despite not lifting a major team trophy in the qualifying period. He pointed to the forward’s individual brilliance as the deciding factor.
“If he had won the World Cup, I think Lionel Messi would have taken the Ballon d’Or, and Michael Olise wouldn’t have been far behind. But Kylian Mbappe is my favorite,” Henry said.
Addressing critics who note Mbappe’s lack of silverware, Henry added: “Some will say he hasn’t won anything. I think people should look a bit closer and realize that some past Ballon d’Or winners didn’t win anything in the year before their victory.”
Individual Achievements
Henry highlighted Mbappe’s remarkable individual stats as proof of his worthiness: “For me, Kylian is the best. When you see what he has achieved on an individual level—top scorer in the Champions League, top scorer in La Liga, top scorer in the World Cup—it’s incredible. Olise has similar numbers in terms of assists, but I’d still pick Kylian, with Michael very close behind.”
The 2026 Ballon d’Or Shortlist
The full list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or includes a mix of established stars and rising talents:
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
- Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
- Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, Spain)
- Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich, Colombia)
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
- Gabriel (Arsenal, Brazil)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
- Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr, Senegal)
- Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
- Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
- Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
- João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
- Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador)
- Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah, Mexico)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
- Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
- Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
- William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
- Ferran Torres (Barcelona, Spain)
- Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)
- Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, Brazil)
- Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Henry’s endorsement adds weight to Mbappe’s candidacy, but the final decision rests with the voters. The winner will be announced at the official ceremony later this year.