With less than two weeks remaining before the Ballon d'Or voting deadline, several leading candidates are intensifying their campaigns to secure football's most coveted individual accolade. This aggressive self-promotion is a relatively new phenomenon in a sport traditionally dominated by team achievements. The heightened focus on the Ballon d'Or has turned it into a major talking point during the early stages of the new European football season.
The trophy will be presented on October 26, following a final sprint that commenced on September 8 when France Football, the organiser of the award, unveiled the list of 30 candidates to succeed Ousmane Dembele. Although the ceremony will take place in London, only five of the nominees play in the English Premier League. Despite the absence of a cash prize, the Ballon d'Or significantly boosts a player's income and status, often leading to increased sponsorship deals and marketing value.
The two all-time leading Ballon d'Or winners, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both enjoy annual sponsorship incomes estimated at over 65 million dollars, according to Forbes. Clubs also benefit from increased merchandise sales if one of their players wins the award. Voting is conducted by 100 invited journalists, each representing one of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings. With no clear frontrunner this year, the candidates and their PR teams are sparing no effort in their campaigns.
Among the contenders, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal have been vocal about their deserving the award. Mbappe, who holds the record for the most World Cup goals with 22, emphasised his individual achievements despite not winning any trophies with Real Madrid or France this year. Lamine Yamal, fresh off World Cup and La Liga victories, asserted that he and Mbappe are the top two players globally. His manager, Jose Mourinho, supported this claim, highlighting Mbappe's historical achievements.
Paris Saint-Germain, boasting a record 10 nominees this year, is making a strong case for one of their players to win. Leading candidates include Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Fabian Ruiz, the only player on the list to have won both the Champions League and the World Cup this year. Despite PSG's collective team spirit, their large number of nominees might work against them. Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane, who had an outstanding year with Bayern Munich and the national team, remains relatively quiet, with his club advocating for his recognition.
