With the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner due to be announced in the coming days, Spanish journalist Anton Meana has challenged Kylian Mbappe’s case for the award, arguing that the picture the Real Madrid forward has presented of his season does not match his performances on the pitch.
Mbappe is among the three leading contenders for football’s most prestigious individual prize, alongside Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. The France international has conducted an intensive media campaign in the hope of winning the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career.
However, Meana believes Kane has a stronger claim after comparing the two forwards’ goalscoring records, performances in major matches and success in Germany.
Speaking on the radio programme El Larguero on Cadena SER, Meana said Kane had outperformed Mbappe in every important area.
“Kane was better than him in every aspect; he scored more goals, eliminated him from the Champions League, beat him at the World Cup and also won trophies in Germany,” he said, according to French website Foot Mercato.
Meana also criticised the way Mbappe’s season had been portrayed to the public, suggesting the player’s message had created an inflated impression of his achievements.
“He made his message suggest that he had produced a much better season than he actually did,” Meana added.
The comments have put Mbappe’s campaign under further scrutiny before the winner is revealed on Monday. His candidacy remains part of a closely contested battle with Yamal and Kane, while the debate continues over which criteria should ultimately determine the Ballon d’Or winner.
Kane’s goalscoring output, his record in major head-to-head matches and the trophies he won in Germany have become central to the comparison. Meana’s assessment therefore presents the Bayern Munich forward as the more accomplished candidate, despite Mbappe’s prominent efforts to build support for his first Ballon d’Or triumph.
The dispute comes as attention turns towards the final decision, with Mbappe’s public presentation of his season now facing direct challenge from Meana’s assessment of the evidence on the pitch.
