Jose Mourinho suggests 56-year-old to win 2026 Ballon d’Or amid politics claims
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has suggested 56-year-old Spanish coach Luis Enrique should win the Ballon d’Or if the award is intended to recognise Champions League success.
José Mourinho has made a surprise intervention in the Ballon d’Or debate, suggesting Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique should receive the prestigious award if Champions League success is the main criterion.
Speaking ahead of Real Madrid’s LaLiga clash with Málaga, Mourinho questioned the idea of automatically giving the individual prize to a player simply because his team has won a major trophy.
The Portuguese coach argued that if the Champions League is what voters want to reward, then Luis Enrique would be the more appropriate recipient after guiding PSG to European glory.
Mourinho also made a similar point regarding Spain’s international success, saying national-team coach Luis de la Fuente would deserve recognition if the award were primarily about rewarding tournament achievements.
The Real Madrid boss insisted, however, that the Ballon d’Or should ultimately identify the best individual player rather than simply celebrate collective honours.
Mourinho’s comments come as Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham remain prominent figures in the race, with the Portuguese coach acknowledging that his squad contains several players capable of competing for the award.
His argument has therefore drawn a distinction between recognising the team that wins football’s biggest competitions and identifying the player whose individual quality makes him the best in the world.
