Ballon d'Or campaign closes: Mbappé and Lamine Yamal push hardest before voting ends

The Ballon d'Or campaign has reached its conclusion: voting closes this Monday and the only thing left is to wait for the gala on October 26 at the London Palladium. In recent weeks, the leading candidates have made their arguments with varying degrees of intensity. Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal have been the most outspoken about their own chances, while others such as Harry Kane and Rodrigo Hernández have preferred a lower profile.

• Ballon d'Or voting ends on Monday, with the gala set for October 26 in London.
• Mbappé and Lamine Yamal have run the most visible campaigns, speaking repeatedly about their merits.
• Harry Kane highlights his 73 goals last season, the second-highest total in history behind Messi.
• Rodrigo Hernández says what matters is what happens on the pitch and avoids asking for votes.
• At PSG, Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia have backed each other as candidates.

Lamine Yamal goes from cautious to fully claiming the award

Lamine Yamal began this race with a restrained approach. In early September he said it did not depend on him and that he had no intention of begging for votes, confident that his work with Barcelona and the national team spoke for itself. That stance changed as the weeks went by.

The Barcelona player ended up openly defending his chances. In one interview he said Mbappé and he are the two best players in the world and that this year he deserved the trophy for everything he had achieved. He also noted that he had missed out on the Champions League but pointed to the World Cup won with Spain as a strong argument.

Barcelona has also played a role in that defense. President Joan Laporta described the academy product as one of the main favorites and said he would love to see him lift the trophy. Vice-president Rafa Yuste was even more direct in asking for justice and for the prize to go to Lamine.

Kylian Mbappé runs an election-style campaign from day one

Kylian Mbappé's strategy has been completely different: he has gone all in from the start. In early September he made his intentions clear by noting that playing for Real Madrid links any player to this award and that many people had been talking to him about the Ballon d'Or.

Who do I vote for? For myself. But I can understand those who vote differently; we are not in a dictatorship of thought.

The French forward listed his achievements with ease: becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history and finishing as the leading scorer in the most important competitions felt like enough to him. In his view, history should always be rewarded.

José Mourinho has also joined the defense of the Frenchman. The Real Madrid coach argued that the Ballon d'Or should reward players who leave an eternal mark rather than focusing solely on collective titles. Without naming him directly, he made clear he was talking about Mbappé when referring to a player who has made individual history.

Harry Kane and the weight of 73 goals in one season

Harry Kane has been more reluctant to promote himself, though he did put numbers on the table. The Bayern Munich striker recalled that last season was the best of his career and highlighted his 73 goals, the second-highest total in history, only behind the 82 scored by Leo Messi in 2011-12.

The Englishman made clear that the award is not in his hands and that it depends on those who vote. He added that he is now focused on the current season and eager to see what more he can do, aware that there will be plenty of Ballon d'Or talk until October.

Fabián Ruiz, Rodrigo Hernández and the mutual praise at PSG

Fabián Ruiz arrives with an enviable trophy cabinet: World Cup champion with Spain and Champions League and Ligue 1 winner with PSG, while being a key piece in both teams. The Andalusian midfielder said the decision belongs to the voters and that the most important thing is to be available for the team, although he admitted he hopes to finish as high as possible.

Rodrigo Hernández, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and the engine of Spain at the World Cup, maintains a very different approach. The PSG midfielder believes nothing he says can influence the vote and that the decisive factor is what happens on the pitch. He also noted that Barcelona has backed Lamine because the club feels he deserves it most, something he considers entirely legitimate.

Dembélé, who won the award last year, has chosen to back his teammate Kvaratskhelia. He called him the best player in the world and said he would be delighted to see him win because he deserves it after an exceptional season. The Georgian returned the praise and highlighted the way Ousmane plays, helps the team and leads the group.

What is decided before the London Palladium gala

With the voting window closed on Monday, there is no turning back. The journalists who take part in the selection have already had time to weigh the merits of each candidate, and there will be no further chances to influence their decision.

The gala on October 26 will settle a particularly open edition, with several players arriving with strong cases. Mbappé relies on his individual and historic records, Lamine on the World Cup and his season at Barcelona, Kane on his goalscoring figures, and Fabián Ruiz on a trophy cabinet that includes the biggest titles at both club and international level.