{
  "id": 15890511,
  "title": "Why Mbappé should win Ballon d’Or – Courtois",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/why-mbappe-should-win-ballon-dor-courtois-15890511",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T12:58:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/why-mbappe-should-win-ballon-dor-courtois/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois expressed strong support for Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or, claiming no player performed better individually than the French forward throughout the year. However, Courtois acknowledged that Mbappé's lack of major trophies could be a factor working against him in the race for the prestigious individual football award. \"Individually, no player was better than him this year, but sadly, we didn’t win any trophies,\" Courtois stated.\n\nThe Belgian goalkeeper compared Mbappé's campaign to that of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, highlighting Yamal's trophy success as a potential advantage in the award race. \"Lamine Yamal had a worse World Cup than Mbappé, but he won the title and won the league,\" Courtois added.\n\nThe debate over whether individual performances or team achievements should carry more weight in determining the Ballon d’Or winner continues to be a topic of discussion. Mbappé has emerged as a leading figure in world football, while Yamal has consistently impressed in his performances for Barcelona and Spain. The award recognizes the outstanding individual footballer of the year, with various factors influencing the final decision.",
  "summary": "Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has backed Kylian Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or, stating that no player performed better individually this year. Read More: https://punchng.com/why-mbappe-should-win-ballon-dor-courtois/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Why Mbappé should win Ballon d’Or – Courtois",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/why-mbappe-should-win-ballon-dor-courtois",
        "published": "2026-10-21T12:46:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}