The Ballon d’Or is too often treated as the ultimate authority on who is the best. In reality, it rewards collective success over pure individual greatness. Win a major international or European trophy and a player is pushed into the spotlight. Fail to, and even the most dominant individual performances are overlooked.
When collective achievements are stripped away, the debate ends. One name stands alone. Kylian Mbappé.
Why collective success clouds judgement
Football rankings often overvalue context. Winning silverware depends on countless variables such as managerial tactics, teammates’ form, injuries, refereeing and luck.
A player can be outstanding yet finish without trophies. Another can fill a cabinet without ever being world class. Silverware alone is not an accurate measure of individual ability.
If the aim is to determine the best player in the world, not just the player who had the best season, a different perspective is needed.
The decisive question
In a one-off match where everything is on the line, one player provides the greatest chance of victory. It is not Ousmane Dembélé, not Mohamed Salah, not Raphinha. Not Erling Haaland, reliant on service, nor Vinícius Júnior, too inconsistent over the past six months.
The answer is Kylian Mbappé.
No player in the modern game combines devastating pace, clinical finishing, sharp decision-making and big-game mentality like him. Mbappé is the ultimate match-winner.
He has delivered for club and country, regardless of system, manager or teammates. His brilliance is independent of circumstance.
This is the definition of the best. Greatness that is transferable, adaptable and reliable. Mbappé has produced since his teenage years and continues to do so against the toughest opponents on the biggest stages. Others may shine briefly, but his quality endures.
The chasing pack
Lamine Yamal, just 17, is emerging as the most gifted teenager since Mbappé. His vision, composure and creativity suggest a path to one day rival Mbappé’s greatness, but for now he remains a prospect, not the standard.
Haaland is an extraordinary goalscorer, but reliance on supply limits him against Mbappé’s all-round game. Vinícius Júnior was part of this group, but recent inconsistency has put his place in doubt.
The truth is simple: every player in world football is chasing. Mbappé is the one being chased.
