As Ballon d’Or vote nears, stars campaign for the award

With less than two weeks before Ballon d'Or voting closes, many leading candidates are actively campaigning for football's top individual honour. This self-promotion is a relatively recent development in a team sport where the prize previously went largely unnoticed until presentation. The Ballon d'Or now dominates football conversation during the early months of the European season. The trophy will be presented on October 26, with the final sprint beginning on September 8 when France Football released the list of 30 candidates to succeed Ousmane Dembele. The ceremony will be held in London, though only five of the 30 nominees play in the English Premier League.

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