Overview
- Kylian Mbappé secured his eighth Ballon d’Or nomination by age 26, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to reach this mark
- Ousmane Dembele is viewed as the early favourite after scoring 35 goals in 53 games and leading PSG to Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France victories
- Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal earned a spot on the shortlist following a breakout season that saw him contribute 18 goals and 25 assists en route to domestic honours
- Mohamed Salah, Vitinha and Raphinha complete the shortlist’s top contenders while both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are missing for the first time in almost two decades
- A global panel of journalists will cast their votes to decide the winner ahead of the ceremony at Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet on September 22