Papin: Mbappe Missed Out on 2026 Ballon d'Or Due to Backfiring Communication Strategy
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- Jean-Pierre Papin menilai pendekatan komunikasi Kylian Mbappe terlalu agresif sehingga merusak peluangnya meraih Ballon d'Or 2026.
- Kegagalan Mbappe juga dipengaruhi absennya trofi bersama Real Madrid dan performa Harry Kane yang lebih konsisten.
- Papin tetap optimistis Mbappe akan memenangi Ballon d'Or di masa depan karena kualitasnya masih mumpuni.
Kylian Mbappe had to accept the bitter reality of failing to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. French legend Jean-Pierre Papin blamed Mbappe's overly aggressive communication strategy as the main cause of the defeat.
Papin, the 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, judged that the Real Madrid forward pushed too hard to promote his personal achievements ahead of the vote. Instead of winning sympathy, the move backfired. "Mbappe's communication strategy really hurt him. It reflects, in a certain way, what he is like. It is a great shame given the quality he has and the club he plays for," Papin told RMC Sport, as quoted by SI.
Papin's criticism came after Mbappe lost out to Harry Kane at the ceremony in London in the early hours of Tuesday WIB. France Football editor Vincent Garcia said this year's race was very tight. The gap in votes between the winner and his rival was even narrower than the margin between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024, which reached 41 points.
Ahead of the vote, Mbappe gave a flurry of interviews to several major media outlets, including L'Equipe. In one interview, he highlighted his achievements under a headline stating that no player had performed better than him the previous season. The approach contrasted with Kane, who kept a low profile during the period leading up to the award.
Papin also compared Mbappe with Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star who has won the Ballon d'Or five times. According to him, Mbappe's effectiveness is not much different from Ronaldo's, but the way he communicates has become the problem. "Mbappe reminds me a little of Cristiano Ronaldo: everyone else has to serve him," Papin said.
"I am sure he will win the Ballon d'Or. He has the quality needed to win it. This is not a now-or-never situation. Yes, this was a good opportunity, but he still has a long road ahead."
— Jean-Pierre Papin, 1991 Ballon d'Or winner
Beyond the communication factor, the lack of team titles also affected Mbappe's chances. Throughout the 2025/2026 season, he ended the campaign without a trophy with Real Madrid. Los Blancos finished as La Liga runners-up behind Barcelona and were knocked out of the Champions League after losing to Bayern Munchen in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, France stopped in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after losing to Spain, which went on to become champions.
Kane had a different set of achievements. He led Bayern Munchen to the Bundesliga title while scoring a total of 73 goals for club and country across the 2025/2026 season. That tally was the most in a single season by a player since Lionel Messi recorded 82 goals in the 2011/2012 season.
Despite his criticism, Papin remains confident Mbappe has the quality to win the Ballon d'Or in the future. He judged that this year's failure was not the last chance for the 27-year-old forward. Support also came from Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who last September described Mbappe as a player who had individually made history that summer.
For Indonesian football fans, this controversy is a reflection that individual awards are not solely about statistics. How a player builds his image before the media and the public apparently carries its own weight. Going forward, Mbappe faces the challenge of proving that his quality can speak louder than a communication strategy that proved counterproductive.
