The 70th edition of the prestigious “Ballon d’Or” award, established by France Football magazine, will be held for the first time in England, in recognition of the first winner, Stanley Matthews. The ceremony could also mark the first English winner in 25 years, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as a leading contender. Kane scored an extraordinary 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country last season, leading the German giants to a league and cup double and England to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
However, semi-final eliminations in both the Champions League and the World Cup make his chances far from certain. “I would love to achieve something like that. It would be a massive historic moment in my career,” said the 33-year-old, adding that the waiting process is very stressful. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal, who finished second last year behind Ousmane Dembele, is seen as a future Ballon d’Or winner. Despite this, a thigh injury ended his club season early, and he was not at the shine of Spain’s World Cup triumph, losing individual awards to teammates.
This has not dimmed his confidence, as Yamal stated last month: “For me, Mbappe and I are the two best players in the world. I honestly think that, as the best in the world, we are perhaps two, and this year I would deserve it because of what I have won.” Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe, 27, takes pride in many individual achievements, but without team medals for Real Madrid or France. He was the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup without winning any of those trophies. With 22 goals, he is the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. “Who do I vote for? Myself,” said Mbappe.
The award, which carries no cash prize, generates large bonuses from clubs and commercial partners, and increases a player’s marketing value. In the women’s award, Alexia Putellas is the favourite to win for a third time, after two wins in 2021 and 2022. She was part of the Barcelona squad that won the Champions League last season. Her main rival is her former teammate, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, who scored 11 goals in the Champions League.
Sourced from France 24 Live News