Three matches for Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Cubarsí while the Ballon d'Or vote is open

The Ballon d'Or is entering the final stretch of its voting period with the new season already underway. After France Football and UEFA revealed the 30 nominees on Tuesday, the 100 specialist journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking have until Monday, September 28 to submit their verdicts. The awards ceremony will take place in London on Monday, October 26.

• The Ballon d'Or jury is made up of 100 journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking.
• Voting closes on September 28 and the winner will be announced on October 26 in London.
• Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Pau Cubarsí are facing three Barcelona matches while voters submit their scores.
• The England-Spain Nations League clash is played just 48 hours before the voting deadline.
• Each journalist ranks ten footballers using a points scale ranging from 15 down to 1.

Three league fixtures to impress the Ballon d'Or jury

The calendar offers a final competitive window for the Spanish contenders. Barcelona face Levante this Wednesday, Racing on September 16 and Sevilla on September 19. For Lamine Yamal, Rodri Hernández and Pau Cubarsí, these three matches are a chance to boost their profile among voters, even though the rules prioritise what was achieved last season, a campaign capped by Spain's World Cup triumph.

What the jury actually values when picking a winner

The organisers have set out three ranked criteria. The first focuses on individual performances that are decisive and impressive. The second weighs collective results and trophies won with club and country. The third considers class and fair play. With the World Cup in the recent trophy cabinets of Yamal, Rodri and Cubarsí, the trio carry a strong calling card in the shared honours department.

The Nations League arrives too late to shape the vote

The England-Spain showdown at Wembley, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, sits in an awkward spot. Played just 48 hours before the voting window closes, its real influence on the ballots will be limited. Journalists will have barely a weekend to process that match before locking in their selections.

How points are distributed among the 30 nominees

The competition rules require every jury member to produce a top ten. First place receives 15 points; second, 12; third, 10; fourth, 8; fifth, 7; sixth, 5; seventh, 4; eighth, 3; ninth, 2; and tenth, 1. The overall winner is decided by the combined total of all ballots.

Spain's seat on the voting panel

Spain holds one of the 100 voting positions. José Félix Díaz, editorial director of As, has taken over as the country's representative this year, succeeding Alfredo Relaño. Before that, the role belonged for 24 consecutive editions, from 1990 onwards, to Francesc Aguilar, a former deputy editor at Mundo Deportivo. Aguilar stepped down in 2013 after the voting deadline was extended during the World Cup play-offs, a move that coincided with a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick and ultimately benefited the Portuguese forward over Leo Messi in that edition.

Frequently asked questions about the Ballon d'Or vote