Overview
- On Monday, Kylian Mbappé publicly declared he would vote for himself and said “this could be a good year” after a press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener.
- Mbappé backed his bid with concrete World Cup credentials, finishing the 2026 tournament as top scorer with 10 goals and becoming the all-time World Cup leading scorer with 22 goals.
- France Football published the 30-player Ballon d’Or shortlists on September 8 and set the 70th‑edition gala for October 26 in London, starting a formal voting window judged by 100 international journalists for the men’s award.
- Rivals and peers have taken differing stances about campaigning, with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal saying he will not lobby for votes, fueling a debate over whether voters should reward solo records or club trophies like the Champions League.
- The shortlist also highlighted other storylines such as Emiliano Martínez’s nomination for the Lev Yashin trophy and the continued influence of club success on recent winners, a factor voters must weigh in the weeks before the gala.