French Legend Names 3 Players Ahead of Kylian Mbappe in 2026 Ballon d’Or Race
- French World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu ranked Kylian Mbappe outside his top three for the 2026 Ballon d'Or
- Mbappe claimed no player had a better individual season, pointing to his Champions League, La Liga and World Cup Golden Boots
- Lizarazu based his ranking on collective criteria across both the Champions League and the 2026 FIFA World Cup
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French football legend Bixente Lizarazu has publicly dismissed Kylian Mbappe's chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or, placing three other players ahead of the Real Madrid forward in his personal ranking.
Mbappe had made a strong case for himself, claiming publicly that no other player produced a better individual season than he did.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by SI, the Frenchman picked up the Champions League title, La Liga, and the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, building what many considered a compelling argument for the award.
However, he finished behind England striker Harry Kane in the overall World Cup scoring charts, a detail that has complicated his campaign in some assessments.
Lizarazu screens out Mbappe
Lizarazu, who won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998, said he was measuring players based on collective achievement across the two biggest competitions of the season: the UEFA Champions League and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“I will try to stick to my criteria, which are primarily collective. There was a season with two major competitions: the Champions League and the World Cup,” he said, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Using that framework, Lizarazu placed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé above Mbappe, saying:
“So it will come down to Kvaratskhelia, Yamal and Dembélé.”
Beyond Lizarazu's picks, the wider Ballon d'Or conversation has also featured Harry Kane, who outscored Mbappe at the World Cup, as well as World Cup finalists Lionel Messi and Rodri, who have been mentioned among those expected to finish in the top five.
Yamal, the young Barcelona winger, has emerged as one of the most widely discussed favourites given his performances on both the European and international stage this season.
Mbappe reaches 100th UCL game
Legit.ng previously reported that Kylian Mbappe reached 100 Champions League appearances during Real Madrid's win over AS Roma.
The French national team captain scored during the match to get his 72nd goal in the competition, moving into the top five on all-time list.
Source: Legit.ng
