Ballon d’Or 2026: What’ll happen if Mbappe wins award – Ex-PSG winger, Rothen

Former Paris Saint-Germain winger Jerome Rothen has shared his perspective on the potential impact if Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe were to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Mbappe is currently among the leading candidates for the prestigious award, having been the top scorer at the World Cup and the Champions League last season. As the France captain, Mbappe played an instrumental role in leading his team to the World Cup semi-finals, where they were eliminated by England in the third-place match.

Mbappe has expressed his belief that he deserves the Ballon d'Or, even surpassing other contenders such as Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane. Despite this confidence, Rothen predicts a rather lonely outcome for Mbappe if he were to secure the coveted prize. "I'm telling you… If Mbappe wins the Ballon d'Or, it's a real downer, and he's gonna end up feeling mighty lonely," Rothen stated, according to a source close to the former PSG player (via Rothen s'enflamme).