The Ballon d'Or will be awarded tonight, with Harry Kane aiming to become the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the prize. He faces competition from Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe among a star-studded list of nominees.
Three Criteria Decide the Winner
Voters will assess each candidate against three key criteria. The first focuses on individual performance, judged strictly on a player's own showings on the pitch, separate from the fortunes of their club or national team.
Kane delivered a record-breaking season in this regard, scoring 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country. He was one of the few contenders whose individual performances remained consistent across the full 11-month voting period.
Behaviour and Attitude
The second factor is the behaviour and attitude each player displayed on and off the pitch. Kane is expected to rank highly here, as he is widely regarded as one of football's gentlemen and is respected by peers and pundits.
The third criterion concerns collective performances and titles won during the season. This is where Kane's campaign may fall short compared with rivals like Yamal.
Trophy Haul Compared
Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain, though his tournament performance was less impressive than Kane's. Kane lifted the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal with Bayern Munich, but he did not progress past the semi-finals in the World Cup or the Champions League.
The Ballon d'Or jury comprises specialised journalists, one per country, from the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings. Each jury member selects ten players in descending order from the 30-player shortlist, with points awarded as 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively.
