France Football confirms 2026 Ballon d'Or assesses only Aug 2025-July 2026 form, winner Oct 26
France Football has clarified that the 2026 Ballon d'Or will evaluate player performances strictly from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, excluding the current 2026-27 season. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26, with voting already closed last month. Thirty players are nominated, including Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
This means Osimhen's impressive start to the 2026-27 season with Galatasaray—recently rated the best striker in Turkish Super Lig history—will not influence this year's award. Only last season's contributions count, affecting how African fans evaluate contenders like Osimhen, who won the 2023 African Player of the Year but wasn't nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or due to similar timing rules.
For Nigerian football followers, this clarification redirects focus to last season's performances when debating Ballon d'Or merits. With Osimhen's current form excluded, which player's 2025-26 season—such as Ademola Lookman's Europa League heroics or Victor Boniface's Bundesliga impact—do you believe deserves stronger recognition in global awards conversations?