A simple question. A clear answer.
One vote. One straight opinion. Nacho Fernandez does not beat around the bush. Asked who he would pick for the Ballon d’Or, the former Real Madrid captain makes it plain: Kylian Mbappe.
“If I had to vote, I’d choose Mbappe,” he says. No games. No corporate waffle. Just a defender’s view from inside the game. “Every year, I see him faster, more prolific. He’s a physical beast.”
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A Spaniard looking elsewhere
Nacho could have played the patriotic card. He doesn’t. He even says he’d be just as happy to see a Real Madrid player or someone from the Spain squad lift the trophy. But his own pick stays the same. Mbappe.
Thirteen seasons in Madrid leave a mark. Nacho has seen generations come and go, Ballon d’Or winners, records broken and reset. His view of the Frenchman is not that of a casual fan. It’s the view of a man who has defended, absorbed the hits and learned what separates a good striker from a statistical freak.
And what about Vinicius?
The former defender does not stop there. He also backs his old team-mate Vinicius Jr. There is no need to invent a rivalry, he says in effect. The two players need to perform together, at the highest level, if Real Madrid are going to be firing on all cylinders.
The remark lands right in the middle of the Ballon d’Or race, where every word from a Madrid legend carries weight. Mbappe, for his part, has asked for none of this. He just keeps playing. The rest takes care of itself.
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