Ballon d’Or: Behind the Mbappé-Yamal Duel, a Third Criterion Judges Must Also Consider

One month before the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal are actively promoting their candidacies. Voters must also consider the third criterion of class and fair-play, which is open to interpretation as the rules do not specify if media campaigns are a violation. The voting body consists of 100 journalists from the top FIFA-ranked countries, each choosing and ranking ten players from the 30 nominees, with some jurors indicating that communication campaigns have little influence on their decisions.