Anticipation and Mystery Ahead of Tomorrow's Ballon d'Or Ceremony

All eyes turn to London tomorrow for the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, amid an open competition among several of football’s top stars, led by Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, Spaniard Lamine Yamal, and Englishman Harry Kane.

For the first time, France Football, the publisher of the prestigious individual award, is hosting its ceremony in the United Kingdom for its 70th edition, a move that harks back to the game’s historical roots in its birthplace.

The identity of the successor to Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé will be revealed during the ceremony. Although Dembélé retained his title in the UEFA Champions League, his individual performance did not reach the brilliance that characterized his play in the previous season, opening the door to fierce competition for his successor.

In terms of striking statistics, striker Kane leads the field after scoring 61 goals for German club Bayern Munich, which reached the Champions League semi-finals, bringing his total to 73 goals when including his strikes for the England national team, which finished third in the 2026 World Cup.

Only Argentine Lionel Messi surpassed this tally in a single season, netting 82 goals in the 2010-2011 campaign. The 33-year-old star of the “Three Lions” is trying, in his own words, not to focus on the Ballon d’Or race, despite the difficulty of ignoring it. Captain Kane’s calm approach contrasts with the statements of his main rivals, 27-year-old Mbappé and 19-year-old Yamal.

Mbappé, who has won no team honors, relies on his individual statistics to bolster his chances. He topped the La Liga scoring charts with 25 goals and the Champions League with 15, and became the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 22 goals, including ten in the 2026 edition.

The Ballon d’Or is awarded based on voting by journalists, with one journalist from each of the top 100 men’s and top 50 women’s nations in the FIFA rankings.

The selection criteria, in order of importance, are individual performance and decisiveness, followed by team results and titles won, and finally sporting behavior.

The 30-man shortlist includes prominent names such as Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri, his compatriot Fabián Ruiz, Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Paris Saint-Germain, eight-time winner Lionel Messi, and French international Michael Olise, who provided 31 assists and scored 22 goals for Bayern Munich last season.

The ceremony, held on Monday evening and hosted by several stars including former French icon Thierry Henry, will see the distribution of several awards, as in previous editions, including Best Coach, Best Young Player, Best Goalkeeper, and others.

A new award, the “Ballon d’Or for the Best in History,” will also be presented to a former star who has won the Ballon d’Or at least twice, based on an open public online vote.