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SportsMoney Real Madrid Boss Mourinho Slams Ballon d’Or Criteria And Supports Mbappe By Tom Sanderson ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tom Sanderson has been primarily based in Barcelona since 2019. Follow Author Aug 29, 2026, 06:31am EDT Aug 29, 2026, 06:38am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho criticized the Ballon d'Or criteria, arguing it should honor legendary individual talent, not just players winning team trophies like the World Cup or Euros. He cited icons such as Messi and Zidane as true recipients, in a veiled jab at potential FC Barcelona candidates and hinting at political influence. Mourinho also voiced concerns about the upcoming three-week international break, fearing player injuries. He noted difficulties in managing player welfare with national teams, citing better communication with Brazil's Carlo Ancelotti but general lack of trust with others. Mourinho emphasized this period as worrying for player fitness.
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has slammed the often cited criteria for winning the Ballon d’Or during a press conference to preview his team’s Sunday afternoon clash against Malaga.
Unsurprisingly, the Portuguese backed his charge Kylian Mbappe.
Asked who will be awarded football’s highest individual honour for the world’s best male player, which is voted on by a France Football panel, Mourinho said: "It's a very beautiful thing individually and it goes into the individual history of a player.
"It's normal that the 12 players of a very high level, of which we have three or four, have the ambition to win it.
“The Ballon d’Or has to be one of those players who are missed for eternity when they retire: Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Messi , Zidane... You can’t give the Ballon d’Or to someone because they have won the World Cup or the European Championship,” he said, in a possible dig at potential FC Barcelona candidates such as Rodri and Lamine Yamal .
“Before that, you have to give it to Luis Enrique or Luis De la Fuente for their work with two great teams. But the best player in the world does not have to be from PSG or the Spanish national team. We know who has made history this summer," Mourinho said, in a nod to Mbappe.
"But then political issues come into play that I don’t go into,” he trailed off.
With this season seeing a three week break for the international game to take over the calendar in September, Mourinho confessed: “The national team games worry me.”
"It's a long time. The players who go with the national team to play worry me less than those who go to the national team without playing.
"For example, with (Brazil boss) Carlo [Ancelotti] I will be informed of the situation. Perhaps we can exchange data. With him it will not be a problem.
“With others with whom there is no friendship and trust, it is very complicated. We are going to have confidence in the professionalism and respect of those coaches. I don’t want to dramatize too much now, but it's a period in which players are injured. While they are there or when they return. It's worrying, but it is what it is.”
Real Madrid takes on Malaga at 17.00 local time in Spain on Sunday afternoon.
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