A Real Madrid star has reportedly already been informed that he will be crowned the Ballon d'Or winner next month in Paris. 

Plans are apparently already in place to dedicate Madrid's Nike store on the Gran Via in his honour with a golden theme and his image on display. 

Los Blancos have dominated the award in recent years, with Lionel Messi the only non-Madrid star to win the prize since 2008, when it was... Cristiano Ronaldo after his season with Manchester United. 

Messi leads the way with eight Ballon d'Ors over the years while Ronaldo has five but neither of them has made the shortlist for the first time since 2003. 

This year's list of nominees includes Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Antonio Rudiger, and Federico Valverde from the current crop of Madrid stars, while the recently retired Toni Kroos is also on there. 

Modric won the award in 2018 after reaching the World Cup final with Croatia.

There have been shouts for his long-term midfield partner Toni Kroos to scoop up the gong for the first time despite the fact he has hung up his boots.

Many consider him to have had one of his best seasons in 2023-24 as he picked up another LaLiga medal and Champions League trophy. 

Jude Bellingham also has his advocates after he enjoyed a record-breaking debut season in the Spanish capital.

He scored 23 goals and made 13 assists to announce himself on the big stage, also helping England reach the Euro 2024 final. 

Or what about Kylian Mbappe, who arrived from PSG this summer on a free transfer but is, for many, the best player in the world? 

According to Marca, it is Vinicius Jr. who 'already knows' that he has won the Ballon d'Or. 

The Brazilian put the seal on their Champions League final win with a neat finish after 83 minutes to make it 2-0 over Borussia Dortmund.

He also scored a rapid first-half hat-trick in the Supercopa de Espana final, assisting the other goal in a 4-1 rout of Barcelona. 

With 24 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, his is a strong case for football's highest personal honour in Paris on October 28.

Journalists from FIFA's top 100-ranked member nations vote on the prize.