According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid has set the 2026 Ballon d'Or as a primary objective. The club has lifted its boycott of the awards ceremony and is now fully campaigning for its star player Mbappé, hoping he can claim the trophy.

October 26 is marked in red on Real Madrid's calendar—the most important date among all others. It is not a match, nor even a training session. It is the awards ceremony held at the Palladium Theatre in London to commemorate the Ballon d'Or's 70th anniversary. Los Blancos eagerly await this day because, following the disappointment of Vinícius Jr. failing to win in 2024, the club knows it has a player in its squad—Mbappé—who has a genuine chance of being crowned the Best Player of the Year.

That is why, after their "boycott" in which they refused to attend the awards ceremony, Real Madrid has lifted its ban on the award and is now openly discussing it through its own representatives. The first and most vocal spokesperson is the player himself, who, surprisingly to many, spoke at the pre-match press conference before the first Champions League match against Inter Milan and, as expected, campaigned for himself. The French star said: "I don't choose these things, but I have made history at the most prestigious tournament in world sport—the World Cup, and I feel good about that."

He speaks the truth. Mbappé has indeed made history. In his third World Cup campaign, he became the tournament's all-time leading goalscorer with 22 goals, although his team ultimately finished in fourth place, and in the most crucial match—the semifinal against Spain—his only meaningful contribution was a weak shot. Therefore, this is Mbappé's strongest argument for winning the award, alongside being the top scorer in last season's Champions League with 16 goals. However, in that Champions League campaign, he also failed to deliver in crucial moments, and his team was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, Mbappé and Real Madrid have started "doing their homework," hoping that this trophy, which has seen fierce competition in recent years, will end up in their cabinet. This would certainly be the French player's first Ballon d'Or and the 12th in Real Madrid's history, though the achievements of Figo, Cannavaro, Kaká, Owen, and Zidane were largely accomplished while playing for other clubs.

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