France head coach Zinedine Zidane has weighed in on the 2026 Ballon d'Or debate, saying Kylian Mbappé was the rightful winner of the award. Mbappé placed second in this year's ranking, behind winner Harry Kane, according to Daily Post Nigeria.
What Zidane said
Zidane was asked about the award in a recent interview with Telefoot. The Real Madrid legend's comments were relayed by Daily Post Nigeria via Diario AS. The report does not give the date of the interview or say where it was recorded.
Zidane first acknowledged that opinions differ on who should win. He said: "As for the Ballon d’Or, everyone has their preferences for the winner."
He then turned to his captain's runner-up finish: "Mbappé finished second; you just have to accept the results. Mbappé was disappointed, because he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, that is for sure."
Mbappé's season
Daily Post describes Mbappé as impressive for Real Madrid since his move from Paris Saint-Germain. It adds that the France captain finished as top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which earned him the Golden Boot.
The report offers no reaction from Kane or Mbappé to Zidane's remarks, and gives no voting figures or details on how the final ranking was decided.
- Based on reporting byDaily Post Nigeria: Ballon d'Or: Zidane names player who deserves to win award
