Overview
- France Football published the 30-player shortlist in early September and voting by national journalists is now open with the winner to be announced on Oct. 26 in London.
- Kylian Mbappé has publicly pressed his case in interviews by saying the Ballon d'Or should 'return to the Bernabéu' while also praising Lamine Yamal as talented.
- Lamine Yamal has argued the award should reward on-pitch brilliance rather than pure goals or trophy counts and has won visible backing from Barcelona teammates and officials.
- Harry Kane is cited by many pundits and bookmakers as a leading contender on statistical grounds after a 73-goal season, and his campaign has been notably low-key compared with others.
- Commentators have criticised the overt campaigning as damaging to the award’s prestige and the final weeks of voting will be decisive in a contest shaped by competing ideas about what 'the best player' means.