Dembele's 2025 win sparks full-scale Ballon d'Or campaign as 2026 vote closes

Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, was at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet last September when the campaign for the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or began, and he is one of a record 10 Paris St-Germain players listed on this year's shortlist.

The build-up has been intensified by 2026 being a World Cup year, with debate often centring on which players could lift their countries and how that might affect voting. "The Ballon d'Or has been discussed every single day," said European football expert Guillem Balague on BBC Sport's Euro Leagues podcast. "Quite clearly it follows the pattern of society, where it puts a lot of emphasis on the individual - it's harder to understand why a collective works, it becomes very easy to understand why one dribbles or doesn't dribble." French football journalist Julien Laurens added: "You can't underestimate the PR machine that some clubs and some players are going to use."

Clubs, agents and national media have actively promoted candidates, with some high-profile omissions prompting public criticism; Deco called the exclusion of Barcelona pair Raphinha and Pedri a "huge scandal" while backing Lamine Yamal as overwhelming favourite, saying not because he is a Barca player but "because I like football". Lamine Yamal himself insisted he will not "beg for anything" after last year saying he dreamed of "winning many".

Players and rivals contributed to the spectacle on and off the record. Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia exchanged praise — Dembele: "We can cut it in two," and "Honestly, he deserves it, the season he had was exceptional." Kvaratskhelia replied: "Of course it's him!" Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique described himself as "bored of the Ballon d’Or" even as PSG supplied a record 10 players to the longlist.

Kylian Mbappe drew direct comparisons from Jose Mourinho to the original Ronaldo and spoke of his own ambitions: "I always think I'm the best but everyone has their own opinion." He added: "Of course, this year could be good for me to win the Ballon d'Or - but journalists vote," the article notes, also identifying him as the all-time World Cup top goalscorer. Jean-Pierre Papin, the 1991 winner, told French TV: "I like Kylian a lot, he's a record-breaker. However, there comes a point when it's all about me, me, me and me."

Campaigning has been described in political terms by some observers. James Kirkham, a sports brand strategist, said: "You're going out, canvassing, getting your vote and making sure you shore up certain blocks from certain countries, and why wouldn't you?" Bayern Munich board member Max Eberl, who backed Harry Kane and Michael Olise, argued the best players "are the ones who don't need to run a campaign." Kirkham also warned the media ecosystem amplifies every moment: "The social noise is deafening, relentless, all-consuming - every fan has an insatiable appetite... it's the whole ecosystem."

The Ballon d'Or's history and commercial effect were outlined by former AC Milan chief executive Ariedo Braida and others: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the prize 13 times between them across a 15-year span from 2008 to 2023, with Kaka the last winner before that period in 2007. Braida said: "Today everything moves at the speed of light," and added, "Winning the Ballon d'Or has an extremely positive impact." He recalled Milan bought Kaka for around 7.5m euros and sold him for 67m euros, and that Manchester City made a written offer of 105m euros in 2008.

The award's eligibility and presentation have also evolved: it launched in 1956, until 1995 only European players were eligible, and after 1995 George Weah became the first African winner; only in 2007 did the prize become fully global, open to players from any club; the ceremony became a glamorous event in 2011 and a women's Ballon d'Or was launched in 2018. Michael Owen's recollection of winning in 2001 — including a photoshoot at Liverpool's Melwood and a presentation on the Anfield pitch a fortnight later — illustrated how the prize has changed since George Best's 1968 win for an English club.

Contention and grievances persist around selections and outcomes: Franck Ribery said missing out to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 felt "like a robbery," Real Madrid boycotted the 2024 ceremony when Rodri won ahead of Vinicius Junior, and Robert Lewandowski has described the prize as "part football, partly politics" and "more commercial" than The Best Fifa Men's Player award. In Brazil, Caique Andrade of Globo said: "When Vini didn't win the 2024 Ballon d'Or, there was a lot of commotion about it."

The voting process is managed by France Football and L'Equipe, with the 30-player shortlist voted on by one journalist from each of the top 100 Fifa-ranked nations, and, as the article states, the deadline has passed and the winner has already been chosen.