PARIS – The race for football’s most prestigious individual award has turned into a full-scale campaign as top players and their teams push hard to sway voters before the Ballon d’Or deadline closes in less than two weeks.

The scramble for votes marks a shift from years past when the award generated little attention until the winner’s name was called out at the ceremony. Today, the Ballon d’Or drives football debates during the early weeks of Europe’s new season.

France Football, which runs the award, published the list of 30 candidates on 8 September. The winner will succeed Ousmane Dembele at a ceremony in London on 26 October, despite only five of the 30 nominees playing in the English Premier League.

Stars make their case public

Lamine Yamal (19), who won the World Cup and La Liga in 2026, did not hold back when asked about his chances.

“For me, Mbappe and I, we’re the two best players in the world,” the teenager told Movistar Plus. “I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I deserve it because of what I’ve won.”

His comments came days after Kylian Mbappe stressed the individual nature of the award. The French striker won no trophies with Real Madrid or France this year, but scored 10 World Cup goals to reach an all-time record of 22 goals in the tournament.

“Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out, a global event. Who am I voting for? Myself,” Mbappe said.

His manager, Jose Mourinho, backed him up: “We know who has made history this summer, and he’s not from PSG or the Spanish national team.”

PSG dominate nominee list

Paris Saint-Germain put a record 10 players on the shortlist after retaining the Champions League. The French club refuses to pick one candidate but argues the winner must come from their squad.

Their top contenders include Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabian Ruiz, the only player on the list who won both the Champions League and World Cup this year.

“Why not dream?” Ruiz told French television.

PSG coach Luis Enrique praised multiple players: “Kvara and Doue are incredible players. For me Kvara could win the Ballon d’Or, as could Dembele and others.”

Dembele took a different approach, telling France Football he would not try to influence voters. “May the best player win; in any case, it’s not us who are voting,” he said. “I never sell myself. It’s up to them to decide.”

Bayern back Kane despite striker’s silence

England captain Harry Kane has stayed quiet during the campaign despite scoring 73 goals while leading Bayern Munich to a German domestic double and his country to third place at the World Cup.

Bayern stepped in to promote their striker, creating a video where team-mates voiced their support.

“He deserves to win it, 100 per cent, without a doubt,” said Colombian Luis Diaz, who also made the shortlist.

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Money and status drive the push

The award carries no cash prize, but winning it boosts a player’s income and status significantly. Many stars have bonuses written into their boot contracts based on the award, while the trophy increases their overall marketing value and their club’s commercial appeal.

Lionel Messi, who won the trophy eight times, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed it five times, both earn more than $65 million annually in sponsorship income, according to Forbes.

Clubs also benefit through increased merchandise sales when one of their players wins.

One hundred journalists, representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, will cast votes to decide the winner.