11 footballers pick their Ballon d'Or winner as clear picture emerges of winner

Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are leading the race for the Ballon d'Or this year, according to both the odds and their team-mates. The annual awards ceremony is coming up in October and there are several names in contention for the prize.

Yamal and Kane are the hot favourites, followed by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Rodri and Lionel Messi. Ballon d'Or winners are judged on three specific criteria - individual performances, collective performances and titles won, plus class and fair play - although given the number of attackers that have won the award, unofficially it's clear that goals and assists weigh heavily, too.

Last season, Yamal won the La Liga title and Supercopa trophy and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He also completed international football by lifting the World Cup at just 19 years old, after winning the European Championships two years earlier with Spain.

On the other hand, Kane won every domestic trophy available with Bayern while scoring a whopping 61 goals. He captained England to the semi-finals of the World Cup and scored five during the tournament.

There are plenty of arguments over who should win the Ballon d'Or, with some current players weighing in on who they think deserves it the most. Here, Mirror Football has revealed what the game's top stars think about who should walk away with the trophy.

According to his Barcelona teammate Raphinha, there's no question that Yamal should receive the prestigious honour this year. He said: "I have no doubts. Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d'Or.

"It depends on individual stats, collective titles, magic, charisma, and many things. Lamine has them all. He has incredible numbers, and not only last season. Three titles, with a World Cup."

Lionel Messi is still receiving plaudits for his exceptional talent despite narrowly missing out on the World Cup. His Argentina teammate Lautaro Martinez believes the 39-year-old is still the greatest player in the world.

"Who will win the Ballon d’Or? Messi. Without doubt,” the Inter Milan striker told TNT Brasil. "He is the best in the world. He is the best in the history of this sport. As long as he is on the pitch, he will have a chance."

Declan Rice has been nominated for the award thanks to his key role in Arsenal's Premier League win and run to the Champions League final. However, the midfielder has backed his England captain to secure the Ballon d'Or as he said: "It’s the second year in a row I have been nominated.

"It’s obviously really good. I’m really proud. Obviously I know who I want to win it. I’d love to see Harry Kane win it, so I’m wishing him all the best in that."

Bayern Munich won the domestic treble in Germany and made the Champions League semi-finals last season with the help of Michael Olise. He was a key part of this winning team but is adamant Kane should win the Ballon d'Or as he "was the best player last season."

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Fellow Bayern teammate Luis Diaz is in agreement with Olise, going more into depth as to why Kane deserves the personal honour. He said: "He does everything. [He] attacks, defends, assists. He was one of the top scorers in the whole world last season.

"That's why I think he deserves it. 100%. He always wants more, refuses to settle, and he helps you as a teammate to grow."

Yamal has backed himself to win the award after scooping the Kopa Trophy for two consecutive years. The Barcelona talent named Mbappe as the other deserving nominee but believes he deserves it more.

Speaking to Movistar+, the 19-year-old explained: "Who would I give it to? The best in the world. Who are they going to give it to? That’s a very long discussion.

"I honestly think that maybe there are two of us who are the best in the world. And I think I deserve it this year because of what I’ve won. Because for me, Mbappé and I are the two best in the world. For me, it’s very clear, and everyone who watches the games knows it."

Mbappe also believes he can secure the Ballon d'Or for his performances with Real Madrid and France last season. In an interview with France Football, the forward said: "I believe I can win it this year.

"It’s one of my objectives, and a short-term one at that."

Summer signing Rodri believes his Barca teammate should win the Ballon d'Or and claimed that the award should definitely go to a Spain international. He told Mundo Deportivo: "What does the Ballon d'Or measure? Individual performance, the season?

"We’re all drawn to individual titles, but I think that a 19-year-old who has been able to win what Lamine has won is impressive; it already speaks to his stature as a player. From there, we’ll see what they decide.

"I think it’s a very open year, where perhaps all the players on the shortlist have the merit to win it. So it’s not something that worries me too much. I would like a Spaniard to win it, whether it’s Lamine, Pau (Cubarsí), Fabián (Ruiz), or even me, whoever is nominated."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain last year, making it back-to-back European titles for the Georgian star. Despite being nominated himself, Kvaratskhelia backed PSG teammate Ousmane Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row.

Kvaratskhelia told Ligue 1 Plus: "I think that, if I could vote, I would vote for Ousmane. He was there to support us and help the team. We understand each other very well, even off the pitch. It is very easy to understand how he plays football."

Dembele has returned the favour to his PSG teammate by supporting Kvaratskhelia to win the award. He said: "I hope that a Parisien will win the Ballon d’Or and especially Kvara, who had an incredible season with PSG. He made a difference in all of the big matches. He had a great season. We hope that it will be either me or him."

The current Ballon d'Or holder added: "Off the pitch, we get on really well and on it, it is easy with a player of this quality. I already knew him before Napoli because I played Football Manager, so I knew him when he was at Rubin Kazan. He is an incredible player. We saw him at Napoli and now here at PSG. He has been with us for a year and a half, doing incredible things. Our complicity is natural."

And finally, former Premier League hero Sir David Beckham believes Messi should break another record by lifting his ninth Ballon d'Or award this year. Speaking after Inter Miami's Campeones Cup win, the ex-Manchester United man told Major League Soccer: "I still can't believe we have him in Miami playing for our team.

"That's why I go to training every day and watch him and turn up to watch him every time possible, because we want to see Leo play football forever. When you see him do things like tonight, and you see him have the World Cup he's had, it's not luck that he's being considered for the Ballon d'Or again.

"It's not luck. He was probably the best player in the tournament; he had an incredible year last year. At 39 years old, to affect the World Cup in every game the way he did, that's special. There's no one at 39 who is doing this at that level.

"He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, he should win it. You have great players in there, like Harry Kane, Kylian [Mbappe] and Jude Bellingham, and other players. But when talking about Leo, I'm his biggest supporter."

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