Club World Cup could tip the balance for Ballon d'Or winner

The Club World Cup is the talk of the football world. 32 teams are competing for the world crown, but some of the protagonists of these participating clubs are looking for a double prize in the United States, as they can add one of the most coveted prizes for any player: the Ballon d'Or.

The revamped FIFA competition is set to be decisive in the definition of the prize awarded by 'France Football'. Among the candidates that everyone is considering, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha (FC Barcelona) will not be present, so the tournament is presented as a last dream opportunity for Ousmane Dembele(PSG), Vitinha (PSG) and Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), the other major contenders, to accumulate merit.

Dembele and Vitinha eye title-plagued season

Ousmane Dembele could be the most likely to win the prize if he is decisive at this World Cup, given his club's brilliant season. The French striker, once almost repudiated in Barcelona and at times a source of derision, has had the best season of his career at the Parc des Princes, with 33 goals and 14 assists, which he aims to increase on American soil.

The visible and most prominent head of a PSG team that has won everything (Ligue 1, French Cup, French Super Cup and Champions League), the 'Mosquito' would practically guarantee himself the Ballon d'Or if he manages to put in a good performance in this World Cup, in which he will face Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders in the group stage.

His team-mate Vitinha will also be at the event with his trophy cabinet full. The French playmaker has been praised for his excellent performances this season, although he has the handicap of being a midfielder in an award that usually goes to attackers.

It seems unlikely that, should a player from this successful PSG side win the award, the Portuguese will not be overshadowed by the goals and assists of Dembele himself, although exceptions such as Rodri in 2024 may give cause for optimism in his entourage.

In addition, Vitinha has something that Dembele does not, as he won the Nations League a few days ago by being unquestionable with a Portugal team that won the title after defeating two giants in Europe such as Germany and Spain, reigning champions of the European Championship.

Mbappe, plenty of goals but lacking trophy

The third way in this battle for the Ballon d'Or at the Club World Cup is Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman, who has gone from strength to strength in his first season as a Real Madrid player, has a big disadvantage on a collective level, as 'Los Blancos' have not won any of the major titles of the season so far, while their main rivals have swept all before them.

However, the man from Bondy is clear that his chances lie in continuing to do what he does best: score. Mbappe has already scored 43 goals for his club this year (his all-time best is 44) and won the Golden Boot with 31 goals in La Liga, beating Salah, Gyokeres and Lewandowski in this battle.

A great individual performance in the United States, along with a Real Madrid triumph in the first Club World Cup in history, could be more than enough for Kylian to finish this final stretch of the season with options before the award is presented on 22nd September. And the fact is that the Club World Cup crown and orbiting around 50 goals are more than enough weighty arguments to compete head to head for the golden prize.