Thierry Henry backs Real Madrid star for Ballon d'Or glory

Former France captain Thierry Henry believes Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé should be a leading candidate for this year’s Ballon d’Or, despite the club’s lack of major trophies last season. Henry pointed to Mbappé’s individual output: he retained the Pichichi with 25 La Liga goals, finished as top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, and had a strong France run at the World Cup 2026, winning the Golden Boot and breaking the tournament’s all-time scoring record to become the competition’s record goalscorer. Henry also named Michael Olise as his second pick and suggested Lionel Messi would have won if he had won the World Cup. The Ballon d’Or is expected next in October.