Organisers of the Ballon d’Or, France Football, have made a fresh clarification regarding the award.
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced in a ceremony in London later this month.
30 players, including Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, have been nominated for the award.
In a post via their X account on Thursday, France Football clarified why this season’s start won’t count.
France Football’s official regulations confirm that the 2026 award assesses performances only from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, including international competitions.
This means that every goal, assist, and match-winning display since the new campaign started counts for nothing.
The voting already closed last month, with the winner set to be announced on October 26.