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TrendRundown › Sports · updated Oct 25, 12:18 PM EDT

Mbappe

Why it is trending in America today

Mbappé among favorites as Ballon d'Or ceremony nears in London


Mbappe
Kylian Mbappé. Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kylian Mbappé is trending ahead of the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday, where the 2026 award is set to be handed out. Coverage has named him as one of the favorites for the prize.

Trending in the US since Oct 21, 4:10 PM EDT · about 1K+ searches · covered by 6 news outlets

The background

LONDON, Oct. 21 — The Ballon d'Or is an annual award for the best player in world soccer. This year's ceremony is set for Monday in London, and it recognizes performances from August 2025 to July 2026.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé is listed among the leading contenders, along with Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona. Reports say Real Madrid officials are hopeful he can win, and that he is expected to attend the ceremony. Other coverage has questioned whether he should be the favorite, and one outlet asked why he has not yet won the award.

What happens next

The Ballon d'Or ceremony in London is scheduled for Monday, when the 2026 winner is due to be announced.

What else people are searching

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Key facts

  • The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is set for Monday in London.
  • Kylian Mbappé, 23, plays for Real Madrid and is one of the favorites.
  • Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are also named among the leading candidates.
  • Reports say Mbappé is expected to attend the ceremony.
  • Real Madrid is said to be optimistic about his chances.

What we don't know yet

It is unclear which player will win, and the sources do not give the final vote results.

Our summary of reporting by The New York Times, Yahoo Sports, OneFootball, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated. Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources; read the full stories at the links below. Updated Oct 25, 12:20 PM EDT.

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Trend data

Mbappe started trending in the US on Oct 21, 4:10 PM EDT, reaching about 1K+ Google searches. 6 news outlets covered it in our feed, including Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, OneFootball. The earliest report we found came from Sports Illustrated at Oct 20, 11:15 AM EDT. This topic has trended on 2 different days.

Search interest while it trended

Sources: what the outlets reported

How the story unfolded

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