Harry Kane is the bookmakers’ pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Lionel Messi also among the six contenders assessed. The Oct. 26 ceremony moves to London for its first UK staging.
Kane’s 73 goals in 65 club-and-country appearances and six World Cup goals underpin his case, though he has never placed higher than 10th in Ballon d’Or voting and lacks a Champions League or World Cup title. Yamal won LaLiga and the World Cup with Spain; Mbappé topped the Champions League and World Cup scoring charts; Rodri won the World Cup Golden Ball; Kvaratskhelia was named Champions League Player of the Season; and Messi won the MLS Cup with Inter Miami.
The 30-player shortlist was revealed Sept. 8; Paris Saint-Germain leads with 10 nominees, while Cristiano Ronaldo is absent. A jury of journalists, with one representative from each of the 100 highest-ranked FIFA nations, awards points from 15 down to one to determine the winner. The London move honors the award’s first winner, England’s Stanley Matthews.
