The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place in London on Monday, with Harry Kane aiming to make history in the capital.
England captain Harry Kane is the favourite to win the 2026 prize, but Lamine Yamal and, more significantly, Kylian Mbappe remain in contention heading into the final hours. Spain and Barcelona star Yamal was briefly favourite a few weeks ago and has stayed within touching distance of Kane in the betting markets as recently as a few days ago, but momentum now sits with France and Real Madrid star Mbappe.
Standard Sport reporters were asked who they think will win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, and who should win.
Matt Verri: Yamal to win, Kane should
Matt Verri predicts Lamine Yamal will win but believes Harry Kane should. He notes that the "exhaustingly dull PR campaigns are finally over," but that Spanish clubs treat the process as its own sport. He says nobody has pushed Yamal's case more than Yamal himself, and hype around the teenager could distract from an indifferent World Cup due to injury. The most exciting player in the world may get his wish.
Verri argues the best player in the world last season should win, noting Kane scored 73 goals, second only to Lionel Messi in terms of a goalscoring season. Kane scored in every knockout round of the Champions League, including both semi-final legs against Paris Saint-Germain, and scored six goals in the World Cup. He also tore up the Bundesliga and scored a hat-trick in a cup final. Verri calls Kane "the complete player" deserving of the ultimate recognition.
Dom Smith: Kane to win and should win
Dom Smith predicts Harry Kane will win and should win. He says it should not be close this year and should be Kane's award "at a canter," but expects a close-run thing in the end, much closer than it ought to be. He argues the Ballon d'Or is not the best player on the planet, nor the best player from last season until the following October, but the best player of the previous season.
Smith says Kane's 73 goals in a single campaign for club and country have only been bettered in football's modern history by Lionel Messi, and he has a feeling Kane will have done just enough to take the award home in London, albeit with far less than 50 per cent of the overall vote. He adds that Yamal's PR campaign and Bayern and England's failure to win the Champions League and World Cup will make it close, but Kane is the only rightful winner.
Sam Tabuteau: Mbappe to win, Kane should
Sam Tabuteau predicts Kylian Mbappe will win but believes Harry Kane should. He says while he firmly believes Kane should win, Kane has not played the game well enough, and his reluctance to self-promote will cost him.
Tabuteau notes Mbappe knows how important it is to court the vote, as does Lamine Yamal. Their press runs in recent weeks have made the race for the Ballon d'Or much closer than it ought to be.
