According to Varzesh3, the wait is finally over, and Ballon d'Or day has arrived. Tonight starting at 23:30 Tehran time, the city of London will host the Ballon d'Or award ceremony (though the red carpet begins an hour or two earlier, at 21:30 Tehran time. The final nominees will also be gradually announced starting around 19:30 Tehran time. No need to worry. Stay tuned to this live box on Varzesh3 to see all the news and sidelines regarding the Ballon d'Or ceremony in one place). All eyes will be fixed on a small envelope—the envelope that will hold and reveal the name of the best male footballer in the world for the year.
To ensure there are no lingering controversies regarding the votes, we should note the exact evaluation period for the players: August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026.
This year was a World Cup year, and the 2026 World Cup falls entirely within this timeframe. At the request of France Football, the voters considered three main criteria: individual performance, team achievements and honors, and finally fair play and class.
Although 30 male footballers have been nominated, we know the real race is between three individuals. Three players for whom it is genuinely impossible to predict who will win the Ballon d'Or.
Harry Kane | The Crazy Season of a Goal-Scoring Machine
The England captain scored a total of 73 goals for Bayern Munich and the England national team during the 2025-26 season: 62 goals in 51 matches for Bayern, and a grand total of 73 goals in 66 games for club and country.
Kane netted 36 goals in the Bundesliga, capturing his second European Golden Shoe. These 36 goals sent him to the top of the German league scoring charts, earning him the Bundesliga top scorer award.
He also scored 14 goals in the Champions League and netted 6 goals wearing the England shirt at the 2026 World Cup.
At the end of the season, Bayern Munich claimed the Bundesliga title, with Kane being one of the primary reasons for that triumph. At age 33, he could become the first Englishman since 2001 to take the Ballon d'Or home. The last Englishman to win the award was Michael Owen.
Lamine Yamal | The 19-Year-Old Prodigy with the World's Biggest Trophy
If Kane's strength lies in his goal-scoring numbers, Lamine Yamal's strengths are his youth and a very special trophy: the World Cup!
Lamine Yamal registered 28 direct goal contributions in La Liga: 16 goals and 12 assists across 28 matches—the best record for an under-21 player in Europe's top five leagues during the past season.
Yamal was one of the cornerstone players in Barcelona's La Liga title run, earning the La Liga Player of the Season award with 38.7% of the vote, finishing ahead of Pedri.
However, Yamal's ultimate trump card is international football. The 2026 World Cup concluded with Spain as champions, making Yamal a world champion at just 19 years old. He scored a goal in the tournament and lifted world football's most prestigious prize.
If Yamal wins, he will be the youngest player in history to claim the Ballon d'Or.
Kylian Mbappé | The Rightful Successor to Cristiano Ronaldo
During the evaluated period, Mbappé scored 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid. He finished as La Liga's top scorer with 31 goals, carrying a massive share of Real Madrid's scoring load.
Yet for Mbappé, the grandest stage of the year was the World Cup. France did not win the tournament, but the Real Madrid striker scored 10 goals to win the World Cup Golden Boot, establishing himself as one of the standout figures of the competition.
Although voting closed days ago and recent events will not impact the tallies, today it is impossible not to reflect on last night and remember Mbappé's brilliance in El Clásico. In the minds of football fans, he has acquired a psychological edge. For this reason, if the Ballon d'Or genuinely goes to Kylian, it is unlikely to face many detractors.
Kane arrives with 73 goals in a single season for club and country.
Yamal arrives at 19 years of age with the World Cup in hand.
Mbappé has earned the Ballon d'Or with 42 goals for Real Madrid, a World Cup Golden Boot, and dazzling displays in that tournament.
Varzesh3 will be with you from now until the early hours of tomorrow, bringing you minute-by-minute news, sidelines, and analysis of the Ballon d'Or. Stay with us.
Source: Varzesh3
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