Thibaut Courtois backs Kylian Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or, saying no player was individually better than the Real Madrid forward this year

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has backed teammate Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or, insisting that the French forward was the outstanding individual player of the year.

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Courtois made the claim while speaking to DAZN on Wednesday, acknowledging that Mbappé’s failure to win major trophies could ultimately count against him in the race for football’s most prestigious individual award.

The Belgian goalkeeper said Mbappé’s individual performances had been difficult to match despite Real Madrid falling short in their pursuit of major silverware.

“Individually, no player was better than him this year, but sadly, we didn’t win any trophies,” Courtois said.

Courtois also compared Mbappé’s campaign with that of Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the award following a successful season with his club and Spain.

According to the Real Madrid goalkeeper, Yamal may have benefited from his team’s success, despite Mbappé having a stronger individual World Cup campaign.

“Lamine Yamal had a worse World Cup than Mbappé, but he won the title and won the league,” Courtois added.

The comments have added another dimension to the growing Ballon d’Or debate, particularly over the balance between individual brilliance and team success when deciding the winner.

Mbappé remains one of the biggest names in world football and has continued to command attention for his goalscoring and overall performances.

Yamal, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the brightest young talents in the game, with his performances for Barcelona and Spain strengthening his case for the individual honour.

The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually to the player judged to have delivered the strongest overall individual campaign, with performances, achievements and influence all forming part of the debate.

For Courtois, however, Mbappé’s individual quality makes him the deserving winner, even if Real Madrid’s lack of major trophies could prove decisive in the final reckoning.

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The debate is expected to remain intense as voters weigh individual performances against collective success in determining this year’s Ballon d’Or winner.