Ballon d'Or 2026: Thierry Henry Explains Why Kylian Mbappe Deserves Award Ahead of Lamine Yamal
- Thierry Henry made his Ballon d'Or case for Kylian Mbappe during an appearance on the CBS Champions League show
- Henry pointed to Mbappe's golden boot finishes in La Liga, the Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup as his core argument
- Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane are among the strong candidates who could challenge Mbappe for the prestigious prize
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Retired football legend Thierry Henry has come out firmly in support of Kylian Mbappe as his pick for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, placing the Real Madrid forward above high-profile rivals including Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane.
Henry, now a prominent pundit on CBS, laid out a detailed case for Mbappe despite the Frenchman finishing the season without a team trophy.
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Why Henry is backing Mbappe for 2026 Ballon d'Or
Henry acknowledged that Mbappe's rivals were far from weak contenders but insisted the numbers told a compelling story.
"But for me, it's Kylian. When you see what he has achieved individually, and because of those guys, you can always bring something that's kind of not, you know, top goal scorer in the Champions League, top goal scorer in La Liga and also at the World Cup," Henry said.
According to the Ballon d'Or's official website, Mbappe registered 58 goals and 13 assists across 60 matches during the year under review, finishing as the top scorer in La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup.
"If you think about the amount of goals that he has already in the Champions League, in the World Cup story and also in the Champions League, it's just crazy when you think about it.
"So I just wanted to explain that there are a lot of people who are candidates, and they're not like Mickey Mouse candidates, in all fairness, but I will personally go with him [Mbappe]."
Watch Henry's assessment of Mbappe's Ballon d'Or chances, as shared on X:
Mbappe himself has gone on record stating he believes he deserves to take home the award this year.
2026 Ballon d'Or: Who are Mbappe's competitors?
Henry's backing for Mbappe does not diminish the credentials of the other frontrunners.
Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal enjoyed arguably the most decorated season of any candidate, winning the World Cup, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup. He also contributed 25 goals and 20 assists.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane presents perhaps the most staggering individual return, netting 73 goals and adding 8 assists during the period, surpassing Mbappe in raw output.
Kane also collected three pieces of silverware: the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the German Super Cup, giving him a strong argument on both the statistical and trophy fronts.
Guardiola opposes Henry, backs Kane for Ballon d'Or
In a previous Ballon d'Or-related publication, YEN.com.gh reported that Pep Guardiola had backed Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
Guardiola’s choice comes despite strong competition from high-profile contenders such as Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
