{
  "id": 4194232,
  "title": "Jose Mourinho says Kylian Mbappe worthy of Ballon d'Or",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/jose-mourinho-says-kylian-mbappe-worthy-of-ballon-dor",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-29T13:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-08-29-jose-mourinho-says-kylian-mbappe-worthy-of-ballon-dor/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho believes Kylian Mbappe is deserving of this year's Ballon d'Or, arguing that the award should be given to the world's best player, rather than being based on World Cup or Champions League success. The French forward became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history during the tournament, and is one of several contenders for the prestigious prize, which includes England's Harry Kane, Spain's Rodri, and PSG's Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Mourinho stated that the Ballon d'Or should go to a player who will be missed forever when they retire, citing legends like Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Zidane. He added that if the award should be given for a specific achievement, such as the Champions League or the Spanish national team, then it should be awarded to Luis Enrique or Luis De la Fuente, rather than Mbappe, who is not currently playing for either team.",
  "summary": "Jose Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or, saying the award should honour the best player in the world, not just those with major trophies like the World Cup or Champions League.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Mourinho wants more than goals from Real Madrid superstar Mbappe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/mourinho-wants-more-than-goals-from-real-madrid-superstar-mbappe",
        "published": "2026-08-27T16:04:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Mbappe hat-trick powers Real Madrid past Real Sociedad",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/mbappe-hat-trick-powers-real-madrid-past-real-sociedad",
        "published": "2026-08-28T03:08:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "More than goals: What Jose Mourinho wants from Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/more-than-goals-what-jose-mourinho-wants-from-real-madrids-kylian",
        "published": "2026-08-28T03:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Ghanaian defender Oscar Naasei joins Real Madrid in €2m Granada deal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/ghanaian-defender-oscar-naasei-joins-real-madrid-in-2m-granada-deal",
        "published": "2026-08-28T11:11:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "‘I prefer 40 goals with titles’: Mourinho challenges Mbappe despite flying start for Real Madrid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/i-prefer-40-goals-with-titles-mourinho-challenges-mbappe-despite",
        "published": "2026-08-28T13:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "From Arsenal vs Real Madrid to PSG VS Barcelona: UCL blockbusters to watch",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/from-arsenal-vs-real-madrid-to-psg-vs-barcelona-ucl-blockbusters-to",
        "published": "2026-08-28T18:10:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Arsenal make fresh contact over deal for Real Madrid star",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/arsenal-make-fresh-contact-over-deal-for-real-madrid-star",
        "published": "2026-08-28T19:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Real Madrid hosts Inter to open Champions League main phase. PSG plays City, Barcelona in October",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/real-madrid-hosts-inter-to-open-champions-league-main-phase-psg-plays",
        "published": "2026-08-29T13:09:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}