"Before the London ceremony": French poll embarrasses Yamal and puts Mbappe on the Ballon d'Or throne

The award will be presented on 26 October

A press report on Monday discussed the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or and the fiery battle between Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe, the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars.

A poll conducted by "L'Equipe" makes Kylian Mbappe the strongest candidate to win the Ballon d'Or.

The French striker tops the list of candidates and holds the advantage in the race for the award.

That vote drags the fight for the prestigious prize, handed out on 26 October in London, back into the spotlight.

Here's the shock, though. Lamine Yamal missed out on a top-three finish in the poll altogether.

Mbappe's grip on the Ballon d'Or race remains, then, and the result adds a new chapter to the ongoing debate over who deserves to win the highest individual award in world football.

Kvaratskhelia and Kane come next in the French newspaper's poll.

None of this settles anything. The L'Equipe poll is no final result, but it offers a glimpse of how the race currently stands and which names enjoy the greatest consensus among voters.