Ballon d’Or: Mourinho Says Player Can Win Without Trophies

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has argued that a player does not necessarily need to win major silverware to deserve this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Mourinho made the comments while speaking to journalists after Real Madrid’s 2–1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday night.

The Portuguese manager is looking to end Madrid’s recent trophy drought, with the Spanish giants having gone the last two years without winning major silverware.

The absence of team trophies has been cited by some critics as a reason to question the Ballon d’Or chances of Real Madrid stars, including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.

Mourinho, however, believes individual excellence should not be completely dependent on a player’s trophy cabinet.

“For me, the best player in the world can also be one without trophies,” Mourinho said.

Real Madrid had four players — Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Marc Cucurella — included among the 30 nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or, according to the shortlist unveiled on Tuesday.

Mbappé, in particular, has strengthened his case after another impressive Champions League campaign. The French forward scored in Madrid’s victory over Inter to take his Champions League tally to 71 goals, moving level with club legend Raúl in joint-fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring chart.

The Ballon d’Or debate is expected to intensify as voters weigh individual performances against team success, with several leading contenders competing for the prestigious individual award.