Yamal, Mbappé, Kane And Messi Eye Ballon d’Or
The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or will reach its conclusion on Monday, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi among the leading contenders for football’s most prestigious individual award.
Messi, 39, remains in contention after another impressive World Cup campaign, while Yamal and Mbappé represent the next generation of football’s biggest stars. Kane’s goalscoring achievements and success with Bayern Munich have also strengthened his case.
Last year’s men’s award winner, Ousmane Dembélé, is not among the four names dominating the conversation this time.
When And Where Is The Ballon d’Or Ceremony?
The ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on Monday at 2000 GMT. It marks the first time since 2015 that the annual event has been held outside France and the first time London has hosted it.
The 2026 edition also marks the 70th anniversary of the awards, which were introduced by French magazine France Football in 1956. The women’s Ballon d’Or was introduced in 2018.
Yamal, Mbappé, Kane And Messi Lead Men’s Race
Yamal, who won the best young player award in each of the previous two years, is targeting his first Ballon d’Or after helping Spain win the World Cup and Barcelona secure the Spanish league title.
Mbappé has produced another outstanding individual season, but the absence of major trophies with Real Madrid and France could count against him. He finished seventh in last year’s voting despite his impressive performances.
Kane, meanwhile, has broken goalscoring records in Germany while winning titles with Bayern Munich. He also featured among the standout performers as England finished third at the World Cup.
Messi continues to challenge despite moving to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. He helped the club win its first MLS Cup last season and inspired Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.
Putellas Targets Third Women’s Ballon d’Or
The women’s award will have a new winner after three-time defending champion Aitana Bonmati missed the shortlist following a leg fracture in December.
Two-time winner Alexia Putellas is among the leading contenders after helping Barcelona win the Champions League and Spanish league title before joining London City Lionesses.
Putellas previously suffered ligament damage, allowing Bonmati to establish herself as the leading figure in women’s football. The award offers Putellas an opportunity to return to the top.
Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw and Barcelona’s Claudia Pina are also among the leading contenders.
How Is The Ballon d’Or Winner Decided?
The men’s award is decided by journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings. Voters select 10 players from the 30 nominees, with points awarded in descending order from 15 for first place to one for 10th.
The criteria include individual performances, team achievements, decisive contributions, class and fair play. If players finish level on points, the number of first-place votes is used as the initial tiebreaker, followed by second-place votes and so on.
Why Kane’s Recent Form May Not Count
Kane became the fastest player to score 100 Bundesliga goals last month, reaching the milestone in just 98 appearances.
However, his strong start to the current season will not count towards the 2026 award. The official assessment period ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, ending after the World Cup.
His performances and trophies during that period have already strengthened his candidacy, but his latest scoring exploits fall outside the voting window.
Messi Holds Record For Most Ballon d’Or Wins
Messi leads the all-time list with eight Ballon d’Or titles, his most recent coming in 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo is second with five, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten have won the award three times each.
The ceremony will also recognise achievements in men’s and women’s young-player, goalkeeper, coach, club and striker categories. The Socrates Award, meanwhile, honours solidarity initiatives and social causes.
