Lloris backs Mbappe to win Ballon d’Or after Kane beats him to award

Former France captain Hugo Lloris has backed Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or in the future after the Real Madrid forward finished runner-up to Harry Kane in this year’s voting.

The prestigious award, presented by France Football, went to England captain and Bayern Munich striker Kane at a ceremony in London on Monday evening.

Mbappe was second in the final rankings, with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal third.

Lloris, now a goalkeeper for Los Angeles FC, said he remained confident that his former France team-mate would eventually claim football’s biggest individual prize.

“The circumstances were not favourable this time, but that will make him stronger,” Lloris told French newspaper L’Equipe. “He has everything he needs to win it one day.”

Mbappe’s individual record last season included the La Liga Golden Boot, after he scored 25 goals in the competition.

He also finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 15 goals and won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup after scoring 10 times.

Those goals took Mbappe’s total in World Cup history to 22, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

However, he did not win a team trophy with Real Madrid during the campaign, a factor that came against him in the Ballon d’Or race.

Kane’s success means the award has gone to the Bayern Munich forward after a season in which he was selected ahead of Mbappe and Yamal in the final vote. Lloris believes Mbappe’s achievements and continued development leave him well placed to challenge again for the honour.

The former France captain played alongside Mbappe for the national team before ending his international career. His message followed a result that left the Real Madrid forward in second place despite leading the scoring charts in La Liga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup.

For Mbappe, the ranking was another near miss in his pursuit of the Ballon d’Or. He remains without the award, but Lloris said the disappointment could strengthen his determination to win it in the future.