Harry Kane beat out Kylian Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or, securing a historic triumph for FC Bayern. While the Englishman was able to celebrate his victory, the runner-up—Real Madrid’s superstar—is now facing fierce criticism. Of all people, Bayern legend Bixente Lizarazu has come down hard on his French compatriot.

The former Bayern defender was particularly critical of Mbappé’s public behavior in the weeks leading up to the Ballon d’Or gala. The Real Madrid star had repeatedly made it clear that he was determined to win the coveted award. For Lizarazu, however, this aggressive self-promotion went far too far.

On the French TV show “Telefoot,” the 56-year-old had remarkably clear words for the national team captain’s behavior. He was less concerned with Mbappé’s athletic performance than with the way he presented himself in public.

“He lacked humility”: Lizarazu delivers harsh criticism of Mbappé

“He completely lost his way when it came to the Ballon d’Or. I didn’t like that at all. He fell into extremely egocentric behavior—he lacked humility, he was purely self-promoting, and in doing so, he forgot about the others. You got the impression that it was just him and that the others didn’t even exist,” Lizarazu explained.

A clear rebuke of the 27-year-old, who finished just behind Bayern striker Kane in the vote for the world’s best soccer player.

In particular, the former national team player’s view that Mbappé lacked humility seems to have bothered Lizarazu. For him, a soccer player’s personal success must not take precedence over the team’s interests.

Accordingly, the former Bayern pro is calling on Mbappé to make a fundamental change in his attitude.

Bayern Legend Calls for More Team Spirit

With an eye on the French national team, Lizarazu sees the Real Madrid star as bearing a special responsibility. “Now he needs to return to the French national team—and do so with a focus on collective values. Ultimately, it’s these collective values that will help the ‘Bleus’ secure victory,” emphasized the 1998 World Cup champion.

Lizarazu also raised the question of the true value of individual goals. “He scores a lot of goals, but what matters is leading your own team to victory—that’s the most important thing,” explained the former left back.

His message is clear: Mbappé should focus more on serving the team in the future, rather than putting personal accolades at the center of attention.

In this year’s Ballon d’Or voting, Harry Kane ultimately came out on top. The Bayern Munich striker received 1,055 points, narrowly edging out Mbappé, who totaled 1,027 points.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal finished in third place with 881 points.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/11/02/voellig-entgleist-frankreich-legende-attackiert-mbappe-nach-kane-triumph/.