Ballon d'Or 2026: Henry chooses his winner, "they'll say he hasn't won anything, but I think that's happened before"

The announcement of the 30 finalists for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has reignited debate over who should be crowned the best player in the world for the season.

For French and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry, the trophy should go to his compatriot Kylian Mbappe, despite the absence of team honours, both with Real Madrid and with France.

Henry backs Mbappe despite lack of team silverware

"People will tell me he didn't win anything, but I think that's happened before. Some people should research this and see that Ballon d'Or winners have won it without having won any titles the previous year."

"Look at what he achieved individually: top scorer in the Champions League, the Spanish League, and the World Cup," he emphasised during the CBS Sports programme Golazo.

"When you see what he has achieved on an individual level... I also think about the number of goals he has scored in the World Cup (the competition's all-time top scorer). It's simply insane."

The former player compared the Real Madrid striker's season to that of his other competitors and, according to him, only Michael Olise is capable of challenging his national teammate: "He is very close to my favourite. He has the same achievements (as Kylian Mbappe), but in terms of assists."

Despite the speculation, Henry admitted that he considers this year's choice more complex compared to previous editions, since the award ceremony takes place in a World Cup year.

"It's not as simple as last year, when I was saying 'Dembele, Dembele, Dembele.' It was very clear in my mind. This year, it's more complicated to choose; several candidates stand out," he declared.

How Henry rated Ballon d'Or candidates

To justify his preference, Thierry initially compared Bayern Munich teammates Harry Kane and Michael Olise, highlighting their club seasons. In the case of Jude Bellingham, Henry considered the player's performances for the England national team and Real Madrid.

"Looking at Harry Kane, the best player in Germany last season was Michael Olise. Jude Bellingham's year at Real Madrid wasn't good, despite a good World Cup," he stated.

Finally, the Frenchman highlighted the individual ability demonstrated by the players throughout the last season, and also stated that if Lionel Messi had won the World Cup, he would have been elected the Ballon d'Or winner in 2026.

"Rodri had a fantastic World Cup, but he didn't play much with Manchester City. Lamine Yamal didn't have a good World Cup because, as we remember, he arrived injured."

"Erling Haaland, how did we pass him by without remembering that he scored goals from all angles, but I think he's below the players I've already mentioned."

"Then let's go to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who didn't play in the World Cup. We continue with Lionel Messi. And I think if they had won the World Cup, he would have won the Ballon d'Or," he pointed out.