Kane, Yamal and Mbappe vie for 2026 Ballon d'Or in London

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 18:56 · Archive

The Ballon d'Or will be awarded on Monday in London, with Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe among the frontrunners.

The Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual award, will be presented on Monday in London at its 70th edition. For the first time in the award's history, the ceremony is being held outside France.

Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe are the three frontrunners for the men's prize. Kane is the favourite according to Evening Standard Sport reporters, having scored 73 goals in the 2025-26 season, second only to Lionel Messi's record for a single season. Kane scored in every Champions League knockout round and netted six goals in the World Cup.

Yamal, the Barcelona and Spain star, was briefly favourite weeks ago but momentum has shifted towards Real Madrid's Mbappe. Alexia Putellas is the favourite to win the women's award for the third time. The winner is chosen by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative per country from the top 100 nations according to FIFA rankings for the men's award and the top 50 for the women's award. Each jury member selects ten players from a 30-player shortlist in descending order of merit.

How it is being reported

• When is the 2026 Ballon d’Or, who are the favourites, and how can you watch it?Al Jazeera Sport breaks down the award-voting criteria, top candidates and history ahead of the ceremony in London.Al Jazeera · 25 Oct, 18:34
• Ballon d'Or 2026: Who will win... and who should win?Standard Sport reporters predict who will lift the famous trophy in London... and name who shouldEvening Standard · 25 Oct, 12:00

In this story: Harry Kane · Lamine Yamal · Kylian Mbappe · Alexia Putellas · Real Madrid · Barcelona · London

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