Didier Drogba has come to the defence of Kylian Mbappé, suggesting that a perceived “image deficit” could be holding back the Real Madrid forward in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Drogba, who hosted the Ballon d’Or ceremony between 2019 and 2024 and is a former Ivory Coast international, spoke to Le Parisien and described Mbappé as one of his favourites. He argued that the forward’s public image may have counted against him.
“We sometimes prefer smoother people”
Drogba’s point was that football’s wider audience does not always reward the most talented player in the same way. “We sometimes prefer smoother people,” he said, suggesting that personality and public perception can influence how a player is viewed beyond what he does on the pitch.
Source: rmcsport.bfmtv.com
