Mbappe was meant to succeed Messi and Ronaldo, but Ballon d'Or rankings say he's going backward

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — By the age of 19 Kylian Mbappe had won the World Cup, become one of the most expensive soccer players ever and was labeled the heir-apparent to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Seven years later, and with Messi and Ronaldo long past their peak, Mbappe is still to be officially recognized as the best player in the world.

If anything, he is going backward.

By the most recent measure he was ranked seventh. That's where he placed in this year's voting for the Ballon d'Or — the sport's biggest individual prize — which, last week, was won by Mbappe's France teammate Ousmane Dembele.

“You deserve it x1000,” Mbappe graciously posted on social media.

In second place was teenage sensation Lamine Yamal — a player of such prodigious talent that he is now the one predicted to dominate the Ballon d'Or. A new generation is threatening to usurp Mbappe before he's even established himself at the top.

“The challenges do seem to be getting bigger for him to go to the top,” author Luca Caioli told The Associated Press. Caioli co-wrote the book “Mbappe” chronicling his rise from prodigy to superstar.

He said the emergence of the 18-year-old Yamal places doubts over whether Mbappe would become a multiple Ballon d'Or winner.

“Now it could be very complicated because of the fascination of this young player of 18 years that broke all the records for (someone his) age,” said Caioli. “Also the age starts to be interesting for Mbappe. He's not 19 years old like when he won the World Cup. It’s changed.”

Yamal, who has already led Spain to a European Championship and Barcelona to the Spanish title in his nascent career, won the Kopa trophy for the best under-21 player for the second year running. But there were claims he deserved the top prize, which would have made him the youngest ever recipient of the Ballon d'Or - overtaking Brazil striker Ronaldo, who won it aged 21.

La Liga president Javier Tebas said the forward was only overlooked because of his age. Yamal’s father said his son was the “best player in the world by far.”

There was no such outrage in response to Mbappe missing out. Not even from his club, Real Madrid, which last year boycotted the ceremony when Vinicius Junior was beaten to the prize by Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Frankly, Mbappe was barely part of the conversation this year despite winning the Golden Shoe as the top scorer in Europe.

But at the age of 26, Mbappe's levels are not dropping. The Golden Shoe was the first of his career and last month he moved past Thierry Henry's total of 51 goals for France. He is now just six short of overtaking Olivier Giroud as his country's all-time leading scorer.

He was the first teenager since Brazil great Pele to score in a World Cup final when France won in 2018. And he followed that four years later by becoming only the second player to score a hat trick in the final when France lost on penalties against Argentina.

He left Paris Saint-Germain as the club's all-time top scorer.

Yet despite the comments by Tebas and Yamal’s father, few could say Dembele was not a deserved winner of the Ballon d'Or as the star player of a PSG team that won the Champions League and the French league and Cup, scoring 32 goals.

While it was a year of personal redemption for Dembele, whose career had stalled after a move to Barcelona in 2017, it also happened to come in the first season after Mbappe's years-long-trailed transfer from PSG to Madrid.

Caioli said Mbappe moved at the “worst moment” as PSG was about to win the Champions League for the first time and Madrid surrendered its Spanish and European titles.

“He made a beautiful season. He is a European Golden Boot (winner) … But he found one of the worst years for Real Madrid,” he said. “I think he waited too long to go to Madrid … and then chooses the wrong moment.”

The Ballon d'Or is an imperfect way to determine the best player in the world. Ultimately it is a matter of opinion — voted for by one journalist from each of FIFA's top 100-ranked nations. The criteria includes individual and team performances, “decisive and impressive character” and “class and fair play.”

It is, however, often weighted towards the best player in a team that wins the Champions League or a major international competition like the World Cup in any given year.

Which is why Mbappe could consider himself unfortunate to miss out after winning the World Cup with France in 2018 when he placed fourth. The winner that year was Luka Modric, who was runner up in the World Cup with Croatia and won the Champions League with Madrid.

“I did everything I could, but not everything I could to win a Ballon d’Or,” Mbappe said at the time. “It shows me how much I still have to do to win this trophy or it would be too easy to get there and win it all at once.”

Mbappe's highest placing in the Ballon d'Or came in 2023 after his World Cup final hat trick. The winner that year was Messi, who led Argentina to victory at the Qatar tournament.

The expectation that Mbappe could dominate the Ballon d'Or was based on the standards set by Messi and Ronaldo, who won it a combined 13 times. It was predicted that he and Man City striker Erling Haaland would develop a similar rivalry, but Yamal's emergence has changed that.

“He is the present and, without a doubt, has a great future,” Messi has said of Yamal.

“We have seen a genius, the product of a genius,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said of the teenager, who passed Pele as the youngest player to win a major international tournament as part of Spain's Euro 2024 team.

A rivalry between Madrid's Mbappe and Barcelona's Yamal would emulate that of Ronaldo and Messi who also spent the height of their careers at Spain's two biggest clubs.

And time is still on Mbappe’s side. He is just reaching his peak years and has joined European soccer's most successful team in Madrid, which has won a record 15 Champions League titles.

It seems improbable Mbappe wouldn't win European club soccer's top prize at least once with the Spanish giant. Especially if he continues to score at the rate he has so far.

This season alone he has scored 12 goals in 10 games for Madrid and France, including two against Levante a day after the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Given Dembele had to wait until he was 28 to win the trophy, he can serve as inspiration for Mbappe, who is 19 months his junior.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal with a penalty kick during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Levante and Real Madrid at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium in Valencia, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

FILE - Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring from a penalty kick during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Osasuna in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé receives the 2025 Men's Ballon d'Or during the 69th Ballon d'Or awards ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Barcelona's Spanish player Lamine Yamal receives the Kopa Trophy during the 69th Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) award ceremony at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe looks down during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at Metropolitano stadium, in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)