According to Varzesh3, As the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony approaches, the debate over the name of the likely winner has become hotter than ever, and each of football's famous faces is announcing their preferred candidate. Rio Mavuba backed Kylian Mbappé on the "Téléfoot" programme on Sunday morning, but Jean-Pierre Papin has another choice — a choice that may surprise many.
The former striker of Olympique de Marseille and the French national team, who has himself won the Ballon d'Or, considers Harry Kane worthy of winning the Ballon d'Or. Papin, who has been following the Bayern Munich striker's brilliant season, also counts his character and behaviour as one of the reasons for his choice, in addition to his performance on the pitch.
Papin said of his three main candidates: "I think Mbappé, Kane and Lamine Yamal will be on the podium. But if I had to choose just one person this year, Harry Kane is my choice. In my opinion he is a humble man, without exaggeration and very classy. Besides, he is an extraordinary player."
Choosing Kane above Mbappé and Yamal is not only about his statistics and technical performance. Papin pays special attention to the image the English striker has built of himself on the football pitch and in dealing with the media — qualities that have led him to consider Kane worthy of standing on the Ballon d'Or's highest podium.
In Papin's three-man list, Mbappé and Yamal hold the other two places, and behind them the names of several other famous contenders can be seen — from Rodri and Fabián Ruiz to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé.
Source: Varzesh3
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