Ballon d’Or Race Heats Up as Top Stars Step Up Campaigns Ahead of Voting Deadline

With less than two weeks remaining before voting closes for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, several of football’s biggest stars have intensified their efforts to convince voters that they deserve the prestigious individual award.

The Ballon d’Or, organised by France Football, has increasingly become a major talking point in world football, particularly during the early weeks of the European season.

Unlike in previous years, when the award largely remained in the background until the ceremony, players and clubs now openly promote their achievements in an attempt to gain support.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.

The final list of 30 nominees was announced on September 8, with the winner set to succeed 2025 recipient Ousmane Dembélé.

Although the award does not come with a direct cash prize, winning it can significantly increase a player’s commercial value, reputation and earning potential.

Many footballers have performance-related clauses in sponsorship and boot contracts, while clubs can also benefit from increased merchandise sales and global visibility.

Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, are among the clearest examples of the commercial influence attached to football’s biggest individual prize.

Their sponsorship earnings have remained among the highest in the sport.

The winner will be decided by 100 journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings casting a vote.

With no overwhelming favourite this year, several leading contenders have begun highlighting their achievements and making public cases for why they should win.

Yamal: ‘I deserve it’
Barcelona and Spain youngster Lamine Yamal has been particularly outspoken about his chances.

Speaking to Movistar Plus, the 19-year-old said he believed he and France captain Kylian Mbappé were the two leading players in the world and insisted that his achievements during the year made him deserving of the award.

Yamal enjoyed a remarkable 2026, winning the World Cup and La Liga, strengthening his position as one of football’s emerging superstars.

His comments came after Mbappé also made a strong case for himself. Despite failing to win a major trophy with Real Madrid or France, Mbappé scored 10 goals at the World Cup, taking his overall tally to 22 — a record for the tournament.

The French forward also finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League last season.

Mbappé has argued that individual achievements should carry significant weight in determining the winner.

His manager, José Mourinho, also appeared to back his claim, saying that the player who had made history during the summer was neither a Paris Saint-Germain player nor a member of the Spanish national team.

PSG dominate the shortlist
Paris Saint-Germain have the largest representation on this year’s shortlist, with a record 10 nominees following their Champions League success.

Among the club’s leading contenders are Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabián Ruiz, with Ruiz standing out as the only nominee who has won both the Champions League and the World Cup in 2026.

Ruiz, however, remained modest when discussing his chances.
“Why not dream?” the Spanish midfielder said when asked about the possibility of winning the award.
PSG manager Luis Enrique has also refused to single out one player, insisting that several of his players have legitimate claims.

He praised Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué while also suggesting that Dembélé and other PSG stars could win the trophy.

Dembélé himself has taken a more restrained approach, saying he would not campaign for votes.
“May the best player win,” he said, adding that the players themselves were not responsible for choosing the winner.

Kane receives backing from Bayern teammates
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane has remained relatively quiet about his Ballon d’Or ambitions despite putting together an impressive season.

Kane scored 73 goals as he helped Bayern Munich secure a domestic double and guided England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
While Kane has not openly campaigned for the award, Bayern Munich have been promoting his candidacy.

The German champions produced a video featuring Kane’s teammates making the case for him to win the prestigious honour.

Colombia international Luis Díaz, who is also among the nominees, strongly backed the England striker.

“He deserves to win it, 100 per cent, without a doubt,” Díaz said.

With the voting deadline approaching and no clear favourite emerging, the final weeks of the Ballon d’Or race are expected to generate intense debate as players, clubs and supporters continue to make their cases for football’s most coveted individual prize.

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