{
  "id": 9279456,
  "title": "Ballon d’Or: ‘Ordinary player, doesn’t deserve award’ – Mbappe slammed over latest performance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/ballon-dor-ordinary-player-doesnt-deserve-award-mbappe-slammed-over",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T05:23:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/23/ballon-dor-ordinary-player-doesnt-deserve-award-mbappe-slammed-over-latest-performance/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cadena SER journalist Fernando Palomo has criticized France captain Kylian Mbappe for his performance in Real Madrid's 2-1 La Liga loss to Atletico Madrid. The match, held at the Wanda Metropolitano, saw Atletico take an early lead when Dean Huijsen was sent off for a foul on Giuliano Simeone, resulting in a penalty kick that Alejandro Grimaldo converted. Mbappe's team managed to extend their lead shortly before halftime, with Simeone assisting Jonathan David. However, Antonio Rudiger scored a late goal for Madrid. Palomo, in an article cited by Foot Mercato, stated that Mbappe did not play a match worthy of a player who constantly claims to deserve the Ballon d’Or. He described Mbappe as an \"ordinary player\" in a match that demands top-level performances. Mbappe registered only one shot on target during the 90 minutes, which was off target, and completed 21 of 25 passes. Despite an outstanding 2025-26 season, with 42 goals across all competitions, Mbappe remains a leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. In the previous season, he had scored 25 goals in La Liga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League, and 10 goals during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing the Golden Boot and becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.",
  "summary": "Football pundit and Cadena SER journalist, Fernando Palomo, has slammed France captain. Kylian Mbappe over his display in Real Madrid’s 2-1 La Liga defeat to Atletico Madrid over the weekend. Following a scoreless opening half at the Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid defender, Dean Huijsen received a red card for a foul on Giuliano Simeone inside the […] Ballon d’Or: ‘Ordinary player, doesn’t deserve…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}