Mbappe takes huge step towards Ballon d’Or after beating Yamal to prestigious award

Kylian Mbappe has beaten Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal to the prestigious Onze d’Or Award after being voted the best player of the 2025/26 season by readers of French magazine Onze Mondial.

The Real Madrid forward claimed 48.2% of the votes, adding another individual honour to a campaign in which he topped the scoring charts in La Liga and the Champions League.

Mbappe secured the award for the first time in his career after finishing comfortably ahead of his closest challengers in the readers’ poll.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves finished second with 11.9% of the votes, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia collected 10.8%. Yamal, who has emerged as one of world football’s brightest young talents, finished fourth with 9.7%.

The result provides another indication of Mbappe’s standing among football fans after an outstanding individual campaign for club and country.

The Frenchman finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League during the 2025/26 season, underlining his importance to Real Madrid’s attacking ambitions.

His ability to deliver consistently in front of goal has kept him firmly in the conversation surrounding football’s biggest individual honours, with the Ballon d’Or remaining the ultimate prize for the world’s leading players.

Mbappe’s achievements extended beyond club football, with the forward also enjoying a record-breaking 2026 World Cup campaign.

He claimed the tournament’s Golden Boot and became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, adding another significant milestone to his international career.

Those accomplishments strengthen his case for further individual recognition, although the Onze d’Or and Ballon d’Or are separate awards with different voting processes.

Yamal remains among the leading young talents in the game, but Mbappe’s commanding victory in the Onze Mondial poll demonstrates the support he has attracted following his performances across the season.

Having claimed the award for the first time, the Real Madrid star will hope his goalscoring exploits and World Cup achievements translate into further recognition as the race for football’s most coveted individual prize gathers momentum.