For the eighth consecutive year, Kylian Mbappé has finished among the world’s top 10 footballers in the Ballon d’Or rankings—an extraordinary feat of consistency that remains unmatched among active players who have never won the award.
Yet despite his remarkable individual performances over the years, the France captain has repeatedly watched another player lift football’s most coveted individual prize.
Here’s how Mbappé has fared in every Ballon d’Or edition since his first nomination, PUNCH Online gathered in this report insights from FIFA website and L’Equipe.
2017: Seventh on debut as Ronaldo reigns
At just 18, Mbappé announced himself on the global stage by finishing seventh with 48 points after helping AS Monaco win Ligue 1 and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his fifth Ballon d’Or after leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double, as well as UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup glory.
Mbappé: 7th (48 points)
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo
2018: World Cup winner finishes fourth
Mbappé enjoyed a sensational breakthrough year, winning the FIFA World Cup with France and emerging as one of the tournament’s brightest stars.
Despite his heroics in Russia, he finished fourth with 347 points as Luka Modrić ended the Messi-Ronaldo era by winning the Ballon d’Or after inspiring Real Madrid to another Champions League title and Croatia to the World Cup final.
Mbappé: 4th (347 points)
Winner: Luka Modrić
2019: Back to sixth as Messi claims sixth crown
After another prolific campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappé placed sixth with 89 points.
Lionel Messi won his sixth Ballon d’Or after helping Barcelona secure the La Liga title.
Mbappé: 6th (89 points)
Winner: Lionel Messi
2021: Lowest finish of his career
There was no Ballon d’Or in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the award returned in 2021, Mbappé recorded his lowest-ever finish, placing ninth with 58 points, while Messi lifted a record seventh Ballon d’Or after captaining Argentina to Copa América glory, the nation’s first trophy in 26 years.
Mbappé: 9th (58 points)
Winner: Lionel Messi
2022: Benzema’s year
Mbappé returned to sixth place with 85 points after another prolific season for PSG.
But Karim Benzema was the overwhelming winner after leading Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League titles in a spectacular campaign.
Mbappé: 6th (85 points)
Winner: Karim Benzema
2023: Closest he has come
Fresh from winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé enjoyed his best Ballon d’Or finish, ending third with 270 points.
Yet there was little doubt about the winner. Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or after inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
Mbappé: 3rd (270 points)
Winner: Lionel Messi
2024: Real Madrid move fails to deliver top prize
In his first Ballon d’Or following his move to Real Madrid, Mbappé slipped to sixth despite amassing 420 points.
Manchester City’s Rodri claimed the award after winning the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and helping Spain triumph in the UEFA Nations League.
Mbappé: 6th (420 points)
Winner: Rodri
2025: Another top-10 finish, another disappointment
Mbappé finished seventh with 378 points, extending his streak of top-10 finishes to eight consecutive years. Despite finishing as La Liga’s top scorer, Real Madrid’s lack of major silverware counted against him.
Instead, Ousmane Dembélé won his maiden Ballon d’Or after leading Paris Saint-Germain to Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup.
Mbappé: 7th (378 points)
Winner: Ousmane Dembélé
Meanwhile, Mbappé has now established the longest streak of top-10 Ballon d’Or finishes by a player who has never won the award.
With Real Madrid enduring a trophyless 2025-26 season, the 2026 FIFA World Cup may represent his best opportunity yet to finally turn years of consistency into football’s biggest individual honour.
2026 redemption: Dembele, Messi or Spain challenge?
Mbappé has once again underlined his Ballon d’Or credentials with another outstanding FIFA World Cup campaign.
Heading into France’s semi-final against Spain, the Real Madrid forward had scored eight goals in the tournament, leaving him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
He has also continued to rewrite the record books, moving into the top three on the World Cup’s all-time scoring chart while extending his remarkable record in knockout matches.
Should France go on to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé would become a leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
The award has historically favoured players who combine exceptional individual performances with major team success, and another World Cup triumph would significantly strengthen the French captain’s case after years of near misses.
However, he faces stiff competition from international teammate Ousmane Dembélé, whose UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1-winning campaign with Paris Saint-Germain has already placed him among the frontrunners for the award.
For now, Mbappé’s immediate focus is on Spain.
PUNCH Online reports that France’s World Cup semi-final against the 2010 champions is currently underway in Dallas, with Didier Deschamps’ side bidding to reach a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final after finishing winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022.
The team however trails Spain after the first 45 minutes by a lone goal courtesy of Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal’s conversion from the spot.
Victory over La Roja would move Les Bleus one step closer to another world title—and perhaps finally put Mbappé in pole position to claim the elusive Ballon d’Or.
Mbappé also heads into the contest on the back of another prolific club campaign.
In his second season at Real Madrid, the 26-year-old scored 43 goals and provided seven assists in 58 appearances across all competitions, once again establishing himself as one of Europe’s most decisive attackers despite Los Blancos ending the campaign without a major trophy.
PUNCH Online reported that Hansi Flick’s Barcelona clinched the trophy.
Those numbers, coupled with his exploits in the United States, have kept him firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation, although the outcome of France’s World Cup campaign could ultimately determine whether he finally gets his hands on football’s most prestigious individual honour.
