Di wait for dis year Ballon d’Or winner don remain less than one week, and speculation dey grow over who go carry di men’s award as di star-studded category dey full of big names. Organisers tok say three criteria dey decide di trophy, and shortlisted candidates go dey judged for dia performances between August 3, 2025 and July 19, 2026, wey be di day of di World Cup final.
Harry Kane, record-breaking winner Lionel Messi and teenage talent Lamine Yamal dey among di favourites, but di award don notorious for surprise, so nobody fit talk say e don sure.
Di 30-player shortlist get three former winners: Messi, di eight-time winner and Argentinian icon; Ousmane Dembele of France, wey be di current holder; and Rodri, di Spanish midfielder wey win am for 2024.
Argentina’s Ballon d’Or trophies all come from Messi, one of football’s all-time greats. Di 39-year-old announce im retirement from international football for August, after e lead Argentina to finish as runners-up for di World Cup and win di Major League Soccer title with Inter Miami. Messi don win di award record eight times: 2009 to 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
France’s tally reach record eight awards after Dembele win last year, and six French men don win am across different generations. Some of Dembele teammates wey help France finish fourth for di World Cup dey join am for di shortlist: Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano.
Portugal get seven awards, and just three men win all of dem: Eusebio for 1965, Luis Figo for 2000, and Cristiano Ronaldo, wey don win five times for 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Ronaldo and Messi don dominate di award for di past two decades.
