Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph has sparked debate, with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou arguing that Kylian Mbappé deserved the prestigious award instead. The Cameroonian fighter shared his opinion on social media after the Bayern Munich striker claimed the trophy ahead of Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
“Popular or unpopular opinion, but for me, Kylian Mbappé is the Ballon d’Or winner this year,” Ngannou wrote. However, he also congratulated Kane on his achievement and praised all the nominees for entertaining fans throughout the season.
His comments underline the debate surrounding the award and the different criteria fans use to judge individual excellence.
Despite Mbappé’s outstanding individual performances, the Real Madrid forward missed out on his first Ballon d’Or. His goalscoring exploits in La Liga and the Champions League strengthened his case, but Real Madrid’s failure to win a major trophy weakened his position. Meanwhile, France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain also affected his season’s overall picture. At 27, Mbappé has reached the highest ranking of his Ballon d’Or career, although Ngannou believes the French star deserved even more.
