Mourinho: I know who should get the Ballon d'Or — he is not at PSG and not a Spain international
Before Real Madrid’s La Liga match with Málaga, Mourinho said he knows which player should receive the Ballon d'Or and hinted that the choice is neither at PSG nor in Spain’s team.
Jose Mourinho, the returning coach of Real Madrid, spoke on August 29, 2026 at a pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s La Liga game against Málaga and addressed who he believes should win the Ballon d'Or.
Mourinho kept his answer deliberately cryptic but insisted he knows which player deserves the honour — and added that the player in question is not at PSG and is not a member of the Spanish national team.
He told reporters: "On an individual level, it is a very beautiful competition. Few have won it. We have three or four players at that level. It should be someone whose absence will be felt after they retire: Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, Messi, Mateu... You cannot award the Ballon d'Or for winning the Champions League or the World Cup. There are three or four players and we know where they are. And we know who made history this summer. But if politics gets involved, then I like it less. He is neither at PSG nor in the Spanish national team. It is someone else," Mourinho said.
Implied target
Mourinho did not name Kylian Mbappé explicitly, but observers quickly noted that the description — a world-class figure who is not at PSG or in Spain’s team and who made history that summer — fits the French forward. The coach’s phrasing prompted media discussion about whether he was signalling a preference without saying the name.
The comments came as Mourinho prepares his squad for the third round of La Liga; he returned to the club this summer and faces Málaga in the fixture that followed his press conference.
Photo: press material from the event
