By 19, Kylian Mbappe had won the World Cup, become one of football’s most valuable players, and was widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Seven years on, with Messi and Ronaldo past their peak, Mbappe has still not been officially recognized as the world’s best player. His latest Ballon d’Or ranking placed him seventh, while the 2025 award went to his France teammate Ousmane Dembele.

Mbappe congratulated Dembele on social media, writing, “You deserve it x1000.” Second place went to 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, a teenage sensation already seen as a future Ballon d’Or contender, raising questions about whether Mbappe will dominate as once expected.

Author Luca Caioli, who co-wrote a biography on Mbappe, said Yamal’s emergence and record-breaking early career could complicate Mbappe’s chances of winning multiple Ballon d’Or awards. “Also, the age starts to be interesting for Mbappe. He’s not 19 anymore,” Caioli added.

Yamal has already led Spain to a European Championship and Barcelona to a La Liga title, winning the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player for the second consecutive year. Some argued he deserved the top prize, which would have made him the youngest-ever winner.

Mbappe, meanwhile, was barely mentioned in discussions for the award despite claiming the Golden Shoe as Europe’s top scorer and surpassing Thierry Henry’s record of 51 goals for France. At 26, he is just six goals shy of overtaking Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer.

The Ballon d’Or often favors players in teams winning major trophies, which may have worked against Mbappe as he joined Real Madrid during a transition year. Nevertheless, with Madrid’s record 15 Champions League titles and his consistent scoring form—12 goals in 10 games this season—Mbappe is poised to claim the accolade in the near future.

Experts say time is still on his side, and Dembele’s own late triumph at 28 shows that patience can pay off.