Kylian Mbappé wanted to give himself every possible chance of finally winning the Ballon d’Or. But his media strategy may have had the opposite effect. Highly visible in the media throughout September, the Real Madrid forward reportedly ended up tiring some members of the jury, according to Pascal Ferré, the former head of the Ballon d’Or. It raises the question of whether the Frenchman may have overdone it.
Mbappé has never hidden his ambition to win the Ballon d’Or. In September, as the voting deadline approached, the France captain gave a series of interviews. France Football, L’Équipe, AS and RFI were among the outlets where the Real Madrid star spoke at length about his season and his chances of claiming the award.
His message was particularly clear: in his interview with France Football, Mbappé said there had been “no one better than me” over the past season and openly admitted he would vote for himself. Despite failing to win a major team trophy with Real Madrid or France, he highlighted his individual performances and statistics.
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A media campaign that reportedly “tired” some voters
However, that constant media presence may have proved counterproductive. Speaking on RMC’s After Foot, Pascal Ferré, the former editor-in-chief of France Football and former Ballon d’Or chief, said he had spoken with several voters. “It’s quite strange and unusual. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the best strategy,” he explained, before adding about the jurors he remains in contact with: “It tired them.” According to Ferré, believing that a string of interviews could influence foreign journalists shows a misunderstanding of how the Ballon d’Or jury works. He had already expressed similar concerns to Le Parisien, warning that all the “fuss” surrounding candidates could eventually irritate voters and stressing the importance of collective success.
It is impossible, however, to claim that this campaign has cost Mbappé the Ballon d’Or. The jurors’ ballots are not public at this stage, and the result will only be revealed on October 26. Ferré’s comments simply suggest that at least some of the voters he knows grew tired of Mbappé’s repeated media appearances. On the pitch, the Frenchman has major individual arguments in his favour: 15 Champions League goals, 25 in La Liga and a new status as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer following the 2026 tournament. His main weakness remains the absence of a major collective trophy during the period under consideration.
The strategy was therefore a risky one: constantly highlighting his performances allowed Mbappé to promote a case built largely on individual achievements, but it may also have created the impression of an overly aggressive campaign. With only a few weeks to go before the ceremony, one thing is certain: his Ballon d’Or communication strategy has not gone unnoticed among the voters. Whether it actually influenced their ballots remains to be seen.
