Kylian Mbappé has claimed the Onze d’Or award for the best player in Europe for the 2025–26 season, adding a fresh individual accolade to his collection just days before the winner of the Ballon d’Or is announced.
French magazine Onze Mondial announced the Real Madrid forward as the winner on Monday, following a public vote by its readers, handing the player the award for the first time in his career as he succeeds compatriot Ousmane Dembélé, who triumphed in the previous edition.
Mbappé dominated the voting with 48.2% of the votes, finishing comfortably ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain duo João Neves and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who received 11.9% and 10.8% respectively.
The triumph follows a stellar campaign in which the Frenchman scored 42 goals in 44 matches for Real Madrid across all competitions. He finished La Liga as top scorer with 25 goals and also topped the Champions League scoring charts with 15 goals, securing both golden boots despite his team’s collective disappointments.
His individual achievements extended to the 2026 World Cup, where he claimed the tournament’s Golden Boot and became the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer, further bolstering his case in award races following his exploits for both club and country.
The Onze d’Or dates back to 1976, when French magazine Onze began presenting it to the best player active in Europe, before continuing under the name Onze Mondial. The winner is chosen via a public fan vote, with the Onze Silver and Bronze awards presented to the runners-up in second and third place.
Lionel Messi holds the record for the most titles with four awards, followed by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane with three each. The list of past winners also features icons such as Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Karim Benzema, giving the award a history stretching close to half a century.
This triumph does not guarantee the Ballon d’Or, which is decided by a panel of journalists; Dembélé won both awards in 2025, while Vinícius Junior claimed the Onze d’Or in 2024 before the Ballon d’Or went to Rodri. The verdict for the new edition will be revealed on October 26 in London.
As for the current season, Mbappé has reached nine La Liga goals following his brace against Sevilla on Sunday evening, continuing his pursuit of Raphinha at the top of the scoring charts while welcoming Ballon d’Or week with renewed form on the pitch and a prestigious trophy off it.
