Kylian Mbappé has made clear he doesn't see his international career stretching anywhere near as long as that of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. Asked by BILD whether he could imagine playing until he's 41 the way Ronaldo has, the Real Madrid forward laughed off the idea.
"Let's be honest, considering which country I play for: France will never let me play until I'm 41," Mbappé said, pointing to the physical toll of representing his country. "But Cristiano proves that if you're physically and mentally fit, you can play at this high level for a long time. In my case, though, I don't believe that's possible."
The comparisons between the two forwards have only grown since Mbappé's move to Real Madrid in 2024. Earlier this season he reached 100 goal contributions for the club, becoming the second-fastest player in Los Blancos' history to do so behind Ronaldo.
A Strong Ballon d'Or Case, But No Trophies
Mbappé, 27, arrives at this year's Ballon d'Or conversation with a genuine case. He became the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer this summer and finished as top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League in 2025-26, with his tally of 15 in Europe's top competition bettered only by Ronaldo.
An eight-time nominee for the award, Mbappé has never finished higher than third, which came in 2023. With no single standout candidate this year, he counts himself among a small group of plausible winners. "I believe I can win it," he told France Football, describing his individual numbers as "breathtaking."
What could work against him, though, is the lack of team success to go with those individual numbers. Real Madrid again finished the season without a trophy, and France were beaten by Spain in the World Cup semifinal. By contrast, his main rivals for the Ballon d'Or -- Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé -- all won major honours, and Kane even outscored Mbappé across the season with 73 goals for club and country.
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho offered his own take on the debate earlier this month, seemingly backing Mbappé's case without naming him outright. "You cannot give the Ballon d'Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or the World Cup," Mourinho told reporters. "The Ballon d'Or should go to one of those players who, when they retire, will be missed forever. The best player in the world is something else and he is neither at PSG nor in the Spain team."
