Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has publicly backed his teammate Kylian Mbappe for the Ballon d’Or, asserting that no individual player has performed at a higher level over the past campaign. Speaking in an interview with DAZN ahead of the ceremony in London, the Belgian shot-stopper weighed in on the fierce debate surrounding football’s most prestigious individual accolade, pointing out the tension between individual brilliance and team silverware.
The endorsement places Mbappe at the center of the annual discussion regarding what voters truly value when casting their ballots. While Courtois acknowledged that his teammate’s lack of collective trophies during the term complicates his path to the prize, he maintained that the French forward stood clear above the rest of the footballing world on pure merit.
Evaluating Individual Brilliance Versus Team Trophies
Courtois broke down the central dilemma facing voters ahead of the gala, questioning whether the award should reward the player who achieved the highest individual standard or the one who secured the most team success. Do we pick someone who has won trophies, or someone who stood clear above the rest throughout the entire campaign, even if they won nothing?
The debate highlights Mbappe’s exceptional output during a demanding stretch. The forward delivered 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid and starred on the international stage, finishing as the top scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals while helping France secure a fourth-place finish. Yet, the absence of a major collective trophy for his club side during that period leaves an opening for rivals whose teams triumphed on multiple fronts.
The Competition from Lamine Yamal
Among those rivals, Barcelona and Spain youngster Lamine Yamal emerges as the primary challenger. Yamal enjoyed a trophy-laden run, capturing the La Liga title with Barcelona before helping Spain lift the World Cup trophy over the summer. The teenage winger contributed 24 goals last term and has continued his strong form with 10 goals in the current season.
🚨 Thibaut Courtois: "Ballon d'Or?KYLIAN MBAPPE.Individually, NOBODY was better than him this year, but sadly, we didn't win any trophies.I think Lamine Yamal had a worse World Cup than Mbappé, but he won the title, and won the league, and had a good year overall." pic.twitter.com/eHZnlPMJKc
Courtois conceded that Yamal holds a distinct advantage due to that silverware, despite assessing the youngster’s World Cup display as slightly less dominant than Mbappe’s scoring run. Lamine Yamal had a slightly worse World Cup, but he became a world champion, won the Primera Division with Barcelona, and enjoyed a strong campaign,
Courtois observed.
Courtois Questions Consistency of Voting Criteria
The 34-year-old goalkeeper also took aim at the consistency of the voting criteria, referencing the outcome of the 2024 ceremony. At that time, Courtois expected either Vinicius Junior or Dani Carvajal to claim the honor, only for Spain’s Rodri to take home the prize following his European Championship triumph.
It did not seem like it was his best year, despite winning the European Championship with Spain. The previous year, when City clinched the Champions League, I thought he would have deserved it,
Courtois said regarding Rodri’s trajectory. He concluded that the shifting standards leave players and observers guessing: Sometimes, it is hard to know how to vote for the Ballon d’Or.
Beyond the awards circuit, Courtois addressed his own club future at the Santiago Bernabeu. With his current deal running until the summer of 2027, the goalkeeper confirmed that discussions regarding an extension are moving forward positively. It is not finalised yet. In principle, it should be resolved quickly. There is no problem,
he noted, adding that he intends to remain in the Spanish capital for a long time.
