Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are the leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, according to both bookmakers and their fellow professionals. The annual awards ceremony is scheduled for October, with several high-profile names nominated for the prize.
Yamal and Kane are the clear favourites, followed by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Rodri and Lionel Messi. Ballon d'Or winners are assessed on three specific criteria: individual performances, collective performances and titles won, plus class and fair play. However, given the number of attackers who have won the award, it is unofficially clear that goals and assists weigh heavily in the voting.
Contenders' credentials
Last season, Yamal won the La Liga title and the Supercopa trophy with Barcelona, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He also completed international football by lifting the World Cup at just 19 years old, having won the European Championships with Spain two years earlier.
Kane, meanwhile, won every domestic trophy available with Bayern Munich while scoring 61 goals. He captained England to the semi-finals of the World Cup, scoring five goals during the tournament.
Players reveal their picks
Several current players have weighed in on who they believe deserves the award. Barcelona's Raphinha backed his teammate Yamal, saying: "I have no doubts. Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d'Or. It depends on individual stats, collective titles, magic, charisma, and many things. Lamine has them all. He has incredible numbers, and not only last season. Three titles, with a World Cup."
Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate Lautaro Martinez believes the 39-year-old is still the greatest player in the world. "Who will win the Ballon d'Or? Messi. Without doubt," the Inter Milan striker told TNT Brasil. "He is the best in the world. He is the best in the history of this sport. As long as he is on the pitch, he will have a chance."
Declan Rice, nominated for his role in Arsenal's Premier League win and run to the Champions League final, backed his England captain Kane. "It's the second year in a row I have been nominated," he said. "It's obviously really good. I'm really proud. Obviously I know who I want to win it. I'd love to see Harry Kane win it, so I'm wishing him all the best in that."
Bayern Munich's Michael Olise is adamant Kane should win, saying he "was the best player last season." Fellow Bayern teammate Luis Diaz agreed, adding: "He does everything. [He] attacks, defends, assists. He was one of the top scorers in the whole world last season. That's why I think he deserves it. 100%. He always wants more, refuses to settle, and he helps you as a teammate to grow."
Yamal backed himself to win after scooping the Kopa Trophy for two consecutive years. Speaking to Movistar+, the 19-year-old said: "Who would I give it to? The best in the world. Who are they going to give it to? That's a very long discussion. I honestly think that maybe there are two of us who are the best in the world. And I think I deserve it this year because of what I've won. Because for me, Mbappé and I are the two best in the world. For me, it's very clear, and everyone who watches the games knows it."
More stars and their choices
Mbappe also believes he can secure the award for his performances with Real Madrid and France last season. In an interview with France Football, the forward said: "I believe I can win it this year. It's one of my objectives, and a short-term one at that."
Rodri, who signed for Barcelona, believes the award should go to a Spain international. He told Mundo Deportivo: "What does the Ballon d'Or measure? Individual performance, the season? We're all drawn to individual titles, but I think that a 19-year-old who has been able to win what Lamine has won is impressive; it already speaks to his stature as a player. From there, we'll see what they decide. I think it's a very open year, where perhaps all the players on the shortlist have the merit to win it. So it's not something that worries me too much. I would like a Spaniard to win it, whether it's Lamine, Pau (Cubarsí), Fabián (Ruiz), or even me, whoever is nominated."
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, backed teammate Ousmane Dembele. He told Ligue 1 Plus: "I think that, if I could vote, I would vote for Ousmane. He was there to support us and help the team. We understand each other very well, even off the pitch. It is very easy to understand how he plays football."
Dembele returned the favour, saying: "I hope that a Parisien will win the Ballon d'Or and especially Kvara, who had an incredible season with PSG. He made a difference in all of the big matches. He had a great season. We hope that it will be either me or him." The current holder added: "Off the pitch, we get on really well and on it, it is easy with a player of this quality. I already knew him before Napoli because I played Football Manager, so I knew him when he was at Rubin Kazan. He is an incredible player. We saw him at Napoli and now here at PSG. He has been with us for a year and a half, doing incredible things. Our complicity is natural."
Finally, Sir David Beckham believes Messi should lift his ninth Ballon d'Or. Speaking after Inter Miami's Campeones Cup win, the former Manchester United man told Major League Soccer: "I still can't believe we have him in Miami playing for our team. That's why I go to training every day and watch him and turn up to watch him every time possible, because we want to see Leo play football forever. When you see him do things like tonight, and you see him have the World Cup he's had, it's not luck that he's being considered for the Ballon d'Or again. It's not luck. He was probably the best player in the tournament; he had an incredible year last year. At 39 years old, to affect the World Cup in every game the way he did, that's special. There's no one at 39 who is doing this at that level. He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, he should win it. You have great players in there, like Harry Kane, Kylian [Mbappe] and Jude Bellingham, and other players. But when talking about Leo, I'm his biggest supporter."
