Ballon d'Or 2026: Stars, PR and Politics — SkimNews
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- Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or and immediately became part of the 2026 conversation, jokingly endorsing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia while drawing attention to the award’s emotional and symbolic weight.
- Lamine Yamal is backed by Barcelona’s Deco as the 2026 favorite, with the club executive calling his exclusion from past honors a 'huge scandal' and positioning the teenager as a transformative figure beyond goal stats.
- Kylian Mbappe openly declared himself the best player in the world, framing the Ballon d'Or as a prize for extraordinary talent, while drawing criticism from 1991 winner Jean-Pierre Papin for perceived self-promotion.
- Luis Enrique downplayed the Ballon d'Or amid a record 10 Paris Saint-Germain players on the 30-man shortlist, reflecting growing institutional involvement in shaping individual accolades.
- James Kirkham, a sports brand strategist, compared the Ballon d'Or buildup to a political election, with players and clubs 'canvassing' support across national media blocs to influence the journalist-led vote.
- Ariedo Braida, former AC Milan executive, highlighted the award’s commercial power, noting Kaka’s Ballon d'Or win quintupled his transfer value and brought unprecedented global exposure to the player and club.
- Harry Kane aims to become the first English winner in 25 years, with support from figures like Rio Ferdinand, as Bayern Munich seeks its first Ballon d'Or since 1981 and the Bundesliga its first since 1996.
Why it matters: The Ballon d'Or has evolved from a pure football honor into a global media and commercial contest where national pride, club branding, and social influence directly impact a player’s legacy and market value, with the winner gaining not just prestige but a fivefold increase in transfer worth, as seen with Kaka, and clubs leveraging the award for global exposure.
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