Harry Kane, Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi are among the frontrunners for this year's men's Ballon d'Or award. Each player has had a remarkable season, with various individual accolades and team successes.
England captain Harry Kane, 33, recorded 73 goals in 64 games for club and country, making it the second most prolific season by any player in history. His trophy drought ended with Bayern Munich winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles, the DFB-Pokal, and the German Supercup. He also became England's top scorer at the World Cup with six goals.
Spain's Rodri, the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner, captained his national team to a World Cup victory, where he was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He became only the fourth man in history to win the World Cup, European Championship, European Cup, and Ballon d'Or.
Nineteen-year-old Lamine Yamal of Spain made history by becoming the first player to appear in and win both a European Championship final and a World Cup final before turning 20. He also contributed 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 appearances for Barcelona, helping them win La Liga and the Supercopa.
Kylian Mbappé of France won the World Cup Golden Boot for the second time, bringing his total to 22 World Cup goals, surpassing Messi. Despite a prolific domestic season with 42 goals in 44 appearances, he did not secure any club silverware.
Lionel Messi, at 39, is also in contention despite Argentina losing the World Cup final. He scored a hat-trick in Argentina's first game and continued to be influential throughout the tournament, providing crucial goals and assists.