French forward Kylian Mbappé, England captain Harry Kane and Spain's Lamine Yamal are among the favorites to be crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner at a ceremony to be hosted on Monday, October 26, 2026, in England for the first time. The 70th edition of the award, established by the magazine France Football, takes place in Britain in recognition of the first winner Stanley Matthews.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane enters the race after scoring 73 goals in 65 games for club and country last season, leading the German giants to a league and cup double and England to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Barcelona star Lamine Yamal helped Spain win the World Cup, although a hamstring injury ended his club season early. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé reached personal milestones by becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, including 10 during the latest tournament, and finishing as top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League.
In the women's category, Alexia Putellas is the frontrunner to win the award for the third time after returning to the Champions League triumph with Barcelona before moving to London City Lionesses. Ewa Pajor is her main challenger after netting 11 Champions League goals in Barcelona's latest campaign. One football journalist from each of the 100 top nations in FIFA's rankings casts votes for their top 10 players from a 30-man shortlist.
