Ballon d’Or 2026: Yamal, Mbappe and PSG intensify push for top prize

With less than two weeks before voting closes, the leading Ballon d’Or contenders are making increasingly public cases for why they should win football’s biggest individual award.

The trophy will be presented in London on 26 October, after France Football published its 30-player shortlist on 8 September. Only five of the nominees play in the English Premier League.

Around 100 invited journalists, representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, will decide the winner. There is no prize money, but success can bring players and clubs greater status, commercial value and income. Lionel Messi, an eight-time winner, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, each have annual sponsorship earnings estimated by Forbes at more than 65m US dollars.

The Ballon d’Or has become a major talking point early in the European season, with players and their public relations teams highlighting their achievements in an effort to win votes.

Lamine Yamal, who has won the World Cup and La Liga in 2026, said on Movistar Plus: “For me, Mbappe and I, we’re the two best players in the world.”

“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,” added the 19-year-old.

Yamal was responding to Kylian Mbappe, who has argued that the award should recognise individual achievement. Mbappe won no trophies with either Real Madrid or France this year, with France losing a World Cup semi-final to Spain, but scored 10 goals at the tournament to take his total to a record 22.

“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,” said the striker. “Who am I voting for? Myself.”

Mbappe also finished as last season’s leading scorer in LaLiga and the Uefa Champions League, and claimed his second Golden Boot title to become the Fifa World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, adding to his two Golden Boots this year LaLiga and Uefa Champions League.

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

PSG nominate 10 players

Paris Saint-Germain have a record 10 nominees after retaining the Champions League. Their number of candidates, and their collective approach, could split support between several players.

The leading PSG contenders include Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabian Ruiz, the only player on the shortlist to have won both the Champions League and the World Cup this year.

“Why not dream?” Ruiz told French television.

PSG are refusing to endorse one player while insisting the winner should come from their squad. Luis Enrique said: “Kvara and Doue are incredible players. For me Kvara could win the Ballon d’Or, as could Dembele and others.”

Dembele told France Football: “May the best player win; in any case, it’s not us who are voting. I never sell myself. It’s up to them to decide.”

Real Madrid boycotted the 2024 ceremony after learning shortly before travelling that none of their seven nominees had won.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane has remained quiet after scoring 73 goals while leading Bayern Munich to a German domestic double and England to third place at the World Cup. Bayern have produced a video in which team-mates backed their captain.

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