The Hidden Face of the Ballon d'Or: Candidates' Press Campaigns Tire Out Jurors
With the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony approaching on October 26th in London, a new trend has emerged: players actively campaigning for the award. This year's process, involving journalists from every FIFA-ranked country (100 for men, 50 for women), is shaping up to be particularly distinctive due to these public relations efforts.
"It's Quite Strange"
In recent weeks, numerous candidates, including Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and last year's winner Ousmane Dembélé, have been subtly or overtly promoting their achievements in the press. Pascal Ferré, the former editorial director of France Football and thus ex-chief of the Ballon d'Or, shared insights into the behind-the-scenes workings of this highly anticipated event during his appearance on L'After Foot. He highlighted what makes this year "special."
"The Ballon d'Or is neither weakened nor diminished. I understand the weariness, but it has never been discussed more. This is the first time we're witnessing this kind of campaign. Previously, these were usually conducted more discreetly by clubs and agents. Now, it resembles a political campaign," explained Ferré, author of 'La face cachée du Ballon d'or' (published by Albin Michel).
"It's the candidates themselves doing their self-promotion. It's quite strange and singular. Honestly, I don't think it's the best strategy. I've stayed in touch with many jurors, and it has tired them out. To imagine that repeated interviews could have any influence on Peruvian, Finnish, or Cameroonian jurors shows a poor understanding of them," Ferré further stated on RMC.
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