Lamine Yamal and rivals force Ballon d'Or tie‑break plan

With the Ballon d'Or ceremony only hours away in Londres, organisers have already prepared for the unlikely scenario of a perfect tie. A small clause in the rules will decide the winner on Monday night, as Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all remain in contention.

International jury and shortlist

The award is decided by an international jury of one hundred journalists, each representing one of the top hundred nations in the FIFA ranking. They choose from a pre‑established shortlist of thirty players. No favourite has emerged, leaving the vote wide open.

Each juror ranks the candidates in descending order of merit, awarding fifteen points to their first choice, then twelve, ten, eight, seven, five, four, three, two and one point to the subsequent positions. The player accumulating the highest total points claims the Ballon d'Or.

Tie‑break hierarchy

France Football states that if two or more players finish with identical point totals, the first tie‑breaker is the number of first‑place votes received. Should a dead‑lock persist, the count moves to second‑place votes, then third, and so on.

If the public chose the Ballon d’Or, Messi would be first

If the tie cannot be resolved through the sequential vote counts, the editor‑in‑chief of France Football, acting as organiser, will make the final decision. This clause ensures a single laureate will be announced on the stage.

Historically, the margin has been razor‑thin. Lionel Messi edged out Virgil Van Dijk by seven points in 2019, while the smallest gap ever recorded was in 1996 when Matthias Sammer beat Ronaldo by a single point.

Une petite ligne du règlement will therefore crown the winner on Monday evening in Londres, with the champion expected to appear on the London Palladium stage at around 23:00.

Whatever the outcome, the ceremony guarantees that only one player will lift the trophy, ending the night with a definitive winner.