The list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or will be announced today at 12:00. The awards ceremony for the top soccer player of the year will take place on October 26 in London.
For the fifth time in the award’s history, the award will be based on players’ performances during the season from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, rather than on the calendar year 2026. In practical terms, this means that the World Cup will also be taken into account.
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As for the predictions, there are no clear favorites. Among the nominees for the award are Paris Saint-Germain’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, while some are even bringing up Lionel Messi and Rodri due to their outstanding performances at the World Cup.
Last year’s winner, Ousmane Dembélé, predicted that Kvaratskhelia, Kane, and Mbappé would be in the top three.
Once the nominees are announced, an international panel of expert journalists will cast their votes. The panel consists of one representative per country from the top 100 nations in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings and the top 50 nations in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.
Each voter selects their top choices based on three criteria: individual performance, team achievements, and trophies won, as well as sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Using these metrics, each voting journalist selects and ranks 10 players from the list, awarding 15 points to their first choice and up to one point for their tenth choice.
The total score will determine who wins the Golden Ball.
*photo source: AR
