Mbappe sees himself as the best for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Fiorentina brings back Fanoli and Ben Farhat chooses Germany

French star Kylian Mbappé believes that he is strongly qualified to win the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world this year, for the first time in his career.

Mbappe seems optimistic after winning the Golden Shoe award for the World Cup top scorer for the second time in a row by scoring 10 goals in the 2026 World Cup, achieving the highest goal scoring average in 56 years.

Kylian also became the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 22 goals, surpassing Argentine star Lionel Messi. He also scored 42 goals in 44 matches for his Real Madrid team, despite his team leaving without a title.

Mbappe said in a press conference on Monday: “Many people are talking about me and the Ballon d’Or, and this is normal after my historic achievement in the most important tournament. Perhaps 2026 will be an appropriate year for me to win the award, but everyone is free to have their voice.”

The prestigious award ceremony will be held on October 26 in London.

Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or in 2025 after Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time in its history.

Mbappe added: “It is natural for any Real Madrid player to be nominated for this award, because it is the best club in the world, and I see myself as the best, but everyone has their own opinion.”

Among the prominent candidates to win the Ballon d'Or are Englishman Harry Kane, who scored 61 goals in 51 matches with Bayern Munich, and Spaniard Lamine Yamal, who won the World Cup with his country and the league title with Barcelona.

Kylian Mbappé concluded his statements: “I do not like comparisons, because I do many things that others do not do, and if I continue to talk in this direction, we will enter into an endless argument, right?”

Mbappe achieved the best position in the Ballon d'Or race by finishing third in 2023, and is preparing with his Real Madrid team for a strong match against Inter Milan, on Tuesday, in the first round of the Champions League.

Fiorentina appointed its former coach, Paolo Vanoli, who led it to remain in the Italian Football League last season, to succeed Fabio Grosso, who was sacked on Sunday after only three matches.

A brief club statement said: “Fiorentina announces that it has entrusted Paolo Vanoli with the task of technical supervision of the first team. Big thanks to the coach for immediately and enthusiastically accepting the team’s call.”

Fanoli succeeded Stefano Pioli last November, when the team was in last place with only four points after ten stages. Under his leadership, Fiorentina finished the season in 15th place and reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League.

Although Fanoli, who had also previously coached Venice and Torino, was supposed to extend his contract for an additional season after guaranteeing his stay, the Fiorentina management decided in June to assign the task to Grosso, who was then supervising Sassuolo.

But Fiorentina started its season in the Italian League disastrously, as it suffered a harsh defeat against Roma 0-4 in the opening stage, before losing at home to newly promoted Frosinone 0-3, and then was defeated at home against Torino 1-2, on Saturday, which prompted the management to dismiss him.

German media reports reported, on Monday, that the rising Tunisian-German player Louay Ben Farhat has begun procedures to change his sporting nationality in an effort to play for the German national team.

The Transfermarkt website said in its original German version that the German club Karlsruhe player chose to play under the banner of the German Football Association, and therefore it is expected that he will be called up to the German national team under the age of 21 during the international break.

Ben Farhat, who was born and raised in Germany, played for the Tunisian national team in two friendly matches before the 2026 World Cup, but he missed the tournament claiming that he was not ready, which sparked controversy regarding his sporting future.

Ben Farhat (20 years old) is considered one of the most prominent rising football talents among the Sunni groups in Germany.

The young player signed with Freiburg on the last day of the summer transfer season in a deal worth 7.5 million euros, but the club immediately loaned him back to Karlsruhe to develop his skills.

Ben Farhat was absent for several months in the first half of the last football season due to a broken metatarsal, but despite his injury, he contributed six goals and two assists in the 20 matches he played.

The player's market value now amounts to 10 million euros, according to estimates by the Transfer Market network.