Courtois talks Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius, Ballon d’Or, renewal: ‘Individually no one has been better than him’

Courtois talks Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius, Ballon d’Or, renewal: ‘Individually no one has been better than him’ Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes his teammate Kylian Mbappe deserves to win the Ballon d’Or, insisting that nobody has been better than the Frenchman ‘individually’, while questioning the criteria used to determine the award. The Belgian goalkeeper believes his Real Madrid teammate deserves recognition for his individual performances, although he acknowledged that Lamine Yamal has the advantage of having won major trophies with Barcelona and Spain. Courtois throws his weight behind Mbappe “I think Kylian deserves it, but people vote according to their own logic,” Courtois told DAZN (h/t AS ), just days before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will take place in London next Monday. Courtois highlighted the dilemma between rewarding individual performances and collective succes, saying: “Do we choose someone who has won trophies, or someone who has been above everyone else throughout the season, even if they have not won anything? “I am thinking especially of Kylian. I think individually nobody has been better than Kylian, but unfortunately, we have not won anything collectively.” One of the contenders for Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The Belgian recalled that Mbappe finished fourth at the World Cup and was the tournament’s top scorer, while his main rival for the award, Lamine Yamal, became world champion with Spain. “For me, Lamine Yamal had a slightly worse World Cup, but he became world champion, won La Liga with Barcelona and had a good year,” said the 34-year-old goalkeeper. Courtois also questioned the voting criteria, recalling that he expected Vinicius Jr. or Dani Carvajal to win the 2024 award, only for Spain midfielder Rodri to take the prize. “I did not think it had been his best year, although he won the European Championship with Spain. The previous year, when City won the Champions League, I think he would have deserved to win it,” Courtois said. He added that “sometimes it is difficult to know how to vote for the Ballon d’Or”. Contract renewal at Real Madrid Turning to his future at Real Madrid, Courtois said he expects to finalise a contract extension soon. His current deal expires in June 2027, with an agreement for another year understood to be close . “It is not finalised yet. In principle, it should be resolved quickly. There is no problem. We simply need to find time for my agent and my father to discuss the final details,” he explained. “I want to stay here for a long time, and I am doing everything I can to make that happen,” he added. Courtois will sign a new contract until 2028. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images) Belgium situation Courtois also revealed that he has been removed from the Belgium national team players’ WhatsApp group, following his decision to take a break from international football after the World Cup. However, he played down the situation, explaining that he remains in contact with some team-mates and is hopeful of representing the Red Devils again. “I have been kicked out of the players’ WhatsApp group. That group is used to communicate information, such as training details. There are a few messages from time to time, but not that many,” he said. The goalkeeper expressed optimism about Belgium’s future under new head coach Mark van Bommel, the Dutchman who has taken charge of the national team. “Everyone was fairly satisfied after the first international camp. The team is heading in the right direction, as is the coach. This national team has a great future,” Courtois said. Having considered retiring from international football after the 2026 World Cup, Courtois explained that the positive atmosphere during the tournament changed his mind. He also revealed that he had offered Van Bommel a compromise by making himself available to return to the national team in November. Courtois stressed that he does not expect guarantees of a starting place, once he returns. “I have never reported for international duty assuming I would automatically play. I know my qualities and I know I can be important to the team,” he said. “Nobody needs to guarantee me a starting place. If Senne Lammens, Maarten Vandevoordt or Mike Penders have worked hard and the coach prefers to play them, there is no problem. It does not bother me at all,” he added.