“I deserve the Ballon d’Or”, “Those who watch football know what my arguments are”, “the statistics speak for me”… Never has the race for the most prestigious individual trophy seemed so noisy. In a 2026 election unprecedented in its indecision – where Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembélé all believe they have their chances – the battle for influence has turned into one-upmanship.
Driven by the aggressive communication of their clubs and those close to them, the contenders are multiplying media outings where humility is conspicuous by its absence, flirting dangerously with the third official criterion of the distinction: class and fair play. But this forcing strategy finds a limit: the reality of an electoral college made up of 100 specialist journalists, representatives of the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings.
And within the jury, exasperation openly begins to appear in the face of this orchestrated “ramdam”. After contacting several of them, the daily The Parisian highlighted the almost total imperviousness of journalists in the face of these seduction offensives. The jurors refuse to let their conduct be dictated by public relations operations that they consider at best useless, at worst ridiculous.
Jurors impervious to pressure from all sides
Juror for Algeria for almost two decades, Yazid Ouahib notes a recent drift: “I have been a juror since 2007 and I must say that for two years, we have seen campaigns that we had never seen before. All these interviews, all these comments, they are distractions that do not influence my voice. It gets carried away but it doesn’t change anything. We follow these adventures from afar. » A disinterest shared in northern Europe by Anders Bengtsson, the Swedish representative:
“These campaigns have absolutely no influence on me. (…) If I hesitated between two players, certain statistics or certain arguments could tip the scales. But that would only happen if I hadn’t taken the time to think carefully before submitting my votes. »
By seeking to occupy space at all costs, the contenders even take a major strategic risk: targeting the professionals who are supposed to judge their performances over the duration of a full season. This is the scathing reminder addressed by Pascal Ferré, former editorial director of France Football who voted on behalf of France for seven years.
“Jurors are not three-week-old rabbits. They have an experience and an awareness which allows them to judge, to size up a player without needing to hear ten or fifteen times that he is the best”he confided, adding: “When I say that a Ballon d’Or can get lost in the field of communication, it is when it occupies space in an awkward way and gives the juror the feeling that we want to force their hand a little. This commotion that some are orchestrating can end up annoying voters. Because the string is big. »
At the time of the final choice, the serenity of the ballots in conscience could well sweep away months of promotional noise.
