Ballon d’Or: Mbappé’s candidacy under pressure ahead of the Clásico

Three days before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Spanish journalist Antón Meana said on Cadena SER that Harry Kane deserved the award more than Kylian Mbappé, arguing that Kane had outscored him and eliminated him from the Champions League. Lamine Yamal, Kane and Mbappé are among the contenders; Mbappé points to individual statistics including ten goals at the 2026 World Cup, but has no team titles. Kane scored 73 goals and provided eight assists across competitions, and won two titles with Bayern. Sunday’s Clásico pits league leaders Barcelona, on 27 points, against third-placed Real Madrid, on 21, ahead of Monday’s Ballon d’Or announcement.