Di vote for 2026 men Ballon d'Or don finish. Di journalists wey get right to vote, including AS editorial director José Félix Díaz, don make dia choices. Di deadline for selecting from di first list of 30 candidates wey France Football choose closed on Monday.
Dis year edition dey interesting well well. Di race tight sotay no clear favourite. Each member of di jury, 100 journalists wey represent top 100 countries for FIFA rankings, suppose rank 10 players from high to low. Dem go give 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively.
Under di rules, voting must consider three criteria: individual performances, including decisive and outstanding displays; team performances and achievements; and class and fair play. Na di most wide-open race in years.
Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé don make dia case, as dem publicly stake dia claim to di award. For Germany, di backing dey for Harry Kane, whose goals speak for themselves. For Argentina, Lionel Messi na di choice after him extraordinary World Cup at age 39.
For France, di feeling be say di award suppose go to a Paris Saint-Germain player after di club outstanding year, whether na Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé or Fabián Ruiz. As for Spain, Fabián and Lamine, along with World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri, na di country best hopes to see di award go to one of its world champions.
Di race to succeed Dembélé as men Ballon d’Or winner don dey fiercely contested. Some leading contenders step up dia media campaigns in recent weeks. Every effort don happen, but di voting don close now.
Di ballots go now dey counted to determine di winner of a Ballon d’Or race wey betting markets still get Kane out in front, followed by Lamine and Mbappé. Messi and Rodri round out di top five.
Di ceremony for di 70th edition of di award go hold for London Palladium on Monday, October 26. Di event go bring together 2,000 guests and pay tribute to di award inaugural winner, di legendary England winger Stanley Matthews, who claim di prize in 1956. Who be di best player for world 70 years later? In just under one month, we go get our answer.
