Ballon d’Or 2026: Okocha Backs Mbappé, Names UCL Title Favourites

Former Super Eagles star, Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has tipped Barcelona, Manchester City and Bayern Munich as the leading contenders to win the UEFA Champions League this season.

The Nigerian football legend also named Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé as his favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.

Okocha revealed his choices during an interview with French media outlet Le Journal du Dimanche ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s upcoming Champions League encounter with Manchester City on Wednesday.

The former Nigeria international admitted that the Ballon d’Or race is highly competitive, with several top players, including Harry Kane, Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, in contention for the prestigious individual award.

However, Okocha believes Mbappé has done enough to earn the honour, pointing to the Frenchman’s remarkable goalscoring achievements at the World Cup, in the Champions League and in the Spanish league.

He said, “The suspense is more exciting than ever. There are a good half-dozen contenders: Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, the PSG players.

“I think Mbappé deserves it for having been the top scorer in the World Cup (10 goals), the Champions League (15) and the Spanish league (25).”

On the Champions League, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder singled out Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich as the teams most likely to lift the trophy this season.

Okocha pointed to Manchester City’s heavy investment in new players during the summer transfer window, Barcelona’s impressive form at the start of the campaign and Bayern Munich’s success in keeping their key players as reasons for backing the three European giants to challenge for the title.