Kylian Mbappe was the best individual player in world football during the 2025/26 season, according to Ghana’s Ballon d’Or juror Michael Oti Adjei.
Oti Adjei said his vote was guided by the official Ballon d’Or criteria, which place individual performances first, followed by success with club and country, and then fair play.
Speaking on Sports Daily on TV3, he argued that a player’s personal contribution should be the most important factor when deciding the winner, rather than the number of trophies won.
“I was convinced beyond every doubt, and I still am, that Kylian Mbappe was the best individual football player for the season under reference,” he said.
The Ghanaian juror said the voting instructions clearly establish an order of priority between the three criteria. In his view, that meant individual excellence had to be given greater weight than team honours when assessing the leading candidates.
He maintained that Mbappe’s influence over the season was unmatched, pointing to the forward’s performances and goalscoring record in three of the biggest competitions in world football.
“No individual player in world football was as influential and as dominant in an individual capacity than Kylian Mbappe was,” he added.
Mbappe scored 58 goals in 60 appearances for club and country during the 2025/26 season, figures Oti Adjei said reinforced his case for recognition as the outstanding player.
The juror continued to back the French forward’s individual quality as the decisive factor in his assessment, insisting Mbappe stood above all other players during the period covered by the award.
