Overview
- France Football published the 30‑man Ballon d’Or shortlist on Sept. 8, with Paris Saint‑Germain supplying a competition‑leading 10 nominees and Real Madrid named with four representatives including Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal.
- Kylian Mbappé publicly said he thought 2026 was “a good year” to win the Ballon d’Or at a Sept. 7 press conference and then opened Real Madrid’s Champions League on Sept. 8 by scoring the first goal in a 2‑1 win over Inter Milan.
- Mbappé’s goal on Sept. 8 took him to 71 Champions League strikes, tying him with Raúl for fifth on the competition’s all‑time scorers list and giving him a concrete milestone to bolster his award case.
- The Champions League’s new league‑phase kicked off on Sept. 8 with Real Madrid and Manchester City victories that spotlight early form, and bookmakers and media have already listed Harry Kane among the leading favourites for the Ballon d’Or.
- Ballon d’Or voting will reflect performances across the Aug. 2025–July 2026 window with journalists from the top 100 FIFA‑ranked countries ranking their top 10, and the Oct. 26 London ceremony will settle how World Cup and club achievements are weighed by voters.