Football NewsGiveMeSportUnverified source· 21 Aug 2026
Kroos: Vinicius Jr. Deserves 2026 Ballon d'Or Over Messi and Mbappe
Toni Kroos has boldly ruled out Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, backing a Real Madrid star instead.
T. Kroos
player
Who
Toni Kroos
What
Named his pick for 2026 Ballon d'Or
Excluded
Messi and Mbappe
Pick
Vinicius Jr.
What happened. Toni Kroos has named Vinicius Jr. as his choice to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, dismissing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe as 'average'.
- Kroos ruled out Messi and Mbappe for the award.
- He backed Vinicius Jr. to take the trophy.
- The comments were made in a recent interview.
Kroos's comments add to the ongoing Ballon d'Or debate ahead of the 2026 ceremony.
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