Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has offered a different perspective on how the Ballon d’Or should be decided, arguing that individual brilliance should carry greater weight than team trophies.

The Portuguese coach made the comments while speaking to reporters before Real Madrid’s LaLiga meeting with Malaga.

With the latest Ballon d’Or debate gathering attention, Mourinho stressed that the award is intended to recognise the outstanding individual player rather than simply the most successful team member.

Mourinho said the prize should honour footballers whose influence and quality leave a lasting impression on the sport.

He pointed to legends such as Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane and Lothar Matthaus as examples of players whose careers remain memorable long after retirement.

According to the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, winning the Champions League or World Cup should not automatically make a player the Ballon d’Or winner.

He argued that if trophies were the main criterion, the awards should instead recognise the coaches or teams responsible for those achievements.

Mourinho also noted that individual performance must be assessed separately from collective success. In his view, the best player in the world could come from any club or national team, regardless of who lifts the biggest trophies.

The Real Madrid coach further suggested that factors outside football may sometimes influence the Ballon d’Or voting process, saying he is uncomfortable when politics becomes involved in the decision.

His remarks add another voice to the ongoing discussion about whether the award should primarily reflect statistics, trophies, influence or a player’s overall contribution to football.

Mourinho maintained that recognising the world’s best individual footballer is a separate matter from celebrating a team’s historic campaign.