A Ballon d'Or campaign as fierce off the pitch as on it

The race for football's greatest individual accolade has been fought as fiercely off the pitch as on it, with players, clubs and their entourages running full-scale campaigns to win the Ballon d'Or, the BBC reports.

BBC Sport senior journalist Alex Bysouth writes that lobbying, PR machines and media hype have dominated the build-up, with entourages rousing their candidates and managers talking up their charges. "The Ballon d'Or has been discussed every single day," said European football expert Guillem Balague.

Barcelona sporting director Deco branded it a "huge scandal" that Raphinha and Pedri missed out, while backing Lamine Yamal, who insisted he would not "beg for" votes. Paris St-Germain boss Luis Enrique confessed he is "bored of the Ballon d'Or".

Reigning winner Ousmane Dembele, one of 10 PSG players on the list, joked with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: "We can cut it in two... Honestly, he deserves it, the season he had was exceptional." Georgia has mounted a 'Kvara d'Or' campaign for its favourite son, while Kylian Mbappe, compared by Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho to the original Ronaldo, declared: "I always think I'm the best."

The winner has already been chosen, with voting carried out by journalists from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations. The BBC notes that Harry Kane hopes to become the first English winner in 25 years and Bayern Munich's first since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.