BALLON D’OR REGRESSION | OPEN THREAD | SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

A Managing Madrid community open thread criticizes the current state of football and the promotional campaigning surrounding the Ballon d'Or award. The author argues that recent media interviews featuring nominees Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal represent public lobbying ahead of voting, projecting both players to finish among the top candidates.

The piece further contends that the modern generation lacks the talent level seen during the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Additionally, the author discusses Real Madrid's confrontational media strategy and aggressive public posture regarding LaLiga leadership and president Javier Tebas.