Pascal Ferré warns Ballon d’Or jurors are weary ahead of London ceremony

Pascal Ferré, former director of France Foot and ex‑chief of the Ballon d’Or, appeared as the guest of the After Foot event on Wednesday to discuss the unusually political press campaign surrounding the 2026 award. He warned that the relentless promotion by candidates is tiring the jurors who will decide the winner at a ceremony in Londres on 26 October.

Inside the 2026 campaign

The 2026 edition has been billed as "very special", with a host of candidates already on the media trail to defend their records. Among them are Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembélé, all seeking to influence the vote.

Jurors feel the pressure

Ferré explained that the campaign resembles a political operation, a first for the Ballon d’Or. "The Ballon d’Or is not weakened, but I understand the fatigue – we have never spoken about it so much. It is the first time we witness such a campaign," he told RMC. He added, "The candidates are doing their own autopromotion. It is quite odd and singular. Honestly, I do not think it is the best calculation. I have stayed in contact with many jurors. It has tired them. Imagining that repeated interviews could influence jurors from Peru, Finland or Cameroon is very mis‑reading them," Ferré said.

The voting will be carried out by journalists representing every FIFA‑ranked nation, with one hundred jurors for the men’s award and fifty for the women’s. The final decision will be announced at the London ceremony, ending a long period of speculation and a flood of statements from the candidates.

Ferré, author of "La face cachée du Ballon d’Or" (Albin Michel), also highlighted that the press game offers only a short month for pundits to gamble on predictions before the award is handed out.

He concluded by urging the football community to recognise the growing influence of media campaigns on the award’s integrity, a sentiment that may shape how future Ballon d’Or contests are approached.