Ballon d’Or: Bad news for Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal

Intense public relations campaigns by Ballon d'Or contenders, including Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, are reportedly failing to sway the award's voting jury. Jurors representing the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations have expressed frustration over the aggressive media pushes and loud lobbying from candidates, their camps, and clubs in a closely contested race.

Voting journalists, such as Algeria's Yazid Ouahib and Sweden's Anders Bengtsson, confirmed that promotional campaigns do not impact their selections. Former France Football editorial director Pascal Ferré also warned that clumsy, overbearing media strategies risk backfiring by appearing to force the jury's hand.