Thomas Müller has stepped fully into the debate over the 2026 Ballon d’Or, using his monthly newsletter to name the two players who impressed him most with their individual performances. His selection fell on Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé, leaving out Harry Kane, his former Bayern Munich teammate, and Lamine Yamal, another of the leading names in the conversation for the award.
Müller’s reasoning centres on a combination of qualities he considers decisive in the fight to be regarded as the best footballer in the world. In his view, both Olise and Mbappé bring together spectacle, danger in front of goal, technique and power, without their actions appearing especially complicated. He gave particular emphasis to Olise, whose season with Bayern ended with a domestic double. The Frenchman recorded 15 goals and 19 assists in the Bundesliga, a direct involvement in 34 goals, and added five goals and seven assists in 13 Champions League matches.
The second name on Müller’s list is Mbappé, whom he described as Olise’s ideal partner during the World Cup. The Real Madrid forward did not manage to win a major title with his club during the season, and France were eliminated in the World Cup semifinals by Spain, but that did not prevent the German from placing him among his two favourites.
Kane’s absence is one of the most surprising details of the choice. The English striker finished the evaluation period with 73 goals for club and country, as well as winning the domestic double with Bayern, yet Müller did not include him among the two players who impressed him most. Yamal was also missing from the former German international’s selection, despite winning LaLiga and the World Cup with Spain, two achievements that had placed him among the leading names for the award.
The Ballon d’Or will be awarded on October 26 in London, with the race now entering its decisive stretch. Müller’s choice does not determine the outcome, but it does put the spotlight on Olise, a footballer who shares a dressing room with Kane at Bayern and who now appears backed by one of the great figures in the club’s recent history.