Home FOOTBALL Ballon d'Or 2026: Kane Tipped for Historic Win in London Ceremony

Ballon d'Or 2026: Kane Tipped for Historic Win in London Ceremony

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Harry Kane
Harry Kane favourite to beat Yamal and Mbappe to Ballon d'Or glory

From Kane's record-breaking season to Putellas' Barcelona triumph, we assess the frontrunners as football's most prestigious individual award comes to London.


Kane vs Yamal vs Mbappe: Who will win Ballon d'Or in London?


Harry Kane is now the frontrunner to end England's 25-year wait for a Ballon d'Or winner when the ceremony takes place in London on Monday, though the Bayern Munich striker faces serious competition from La Liga stars Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.


On the women's side, Alexia Putellas is the strong favourite to lift the Ballon d'Or for a third time, with Aitana Bonmati's three-year dominance expected to end following a season disrupted by injuries.


For the first time ever, the ceremony crowning the world's best male and female footballers will take place in London 70 years after England winger Stanley Matthews received the very first Ballon d'Or.


Bayern Munich and England talisman Harry Kane enjoyed a stunning campaign last season, scoring an incredible 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country as Bayern secured a league and cup double.


However, semi-final defeats in both the Champions League and the World Cup in the United States mean victory for Kane at the London Palladium is far from guaranteed.


“I'd love to be able to achieve something like that. It would be a massive milestone in my career,” said the 33-year-old former Tottenham striker.


“I think my wife would prefer to know and my family... it's very stressful for everyone,” added the England captain.


Only four Englishmen have ever lifted the Ballon d'Or. Michael Owen was the last English winner back in 2001, following in the footsteps of legends Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.


Bayern boss Vincent Kompany lauded Kane's team-first mentality, saying: “What made Harry happy the most in recent years is that he finally won his first team trophies here.


“Now if he can crown his career or his season with the Ballon d'Or, that would be deserved for the way he plays for the team.”



'I Deserve It' - Yamal States His Case

Yamal was runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele last year, and the 19-year-old Barcelona sensation looks destined to win the Ballon d'Or at some point in his career.


But a hamstring problem cut his club campaign short, and he struggled to hit his scintillating best during Spain's World Cup-winning run, a triumph that was built more on collective strength.


That hasn't dented his self-belief heading into the ceremony, however.


“For me, Mbappe and me, we're the two best players in the world,” Yamal said last month.


“I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I've won.”


Mbappe, on the other hand, has the individual numbers to back up his claim, even if major silverware eluded him with both Real Madrid and France.


The 27-year-old finished as the leading scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, yet lifted none of those three trophies.


His tally of 10 goals at the World Cup in North America saw him become the all-time top scorer in the tournament's history with 22 goals.


“Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out,” said Mbappe.


“Who am I voting for? Myself.”


The Ballon d'Or was created by French magazine France Football, with the inaugural prize awarded to Stanley Matthews back in 1956.


The winner is decided by one football journalist from each of the top 100 nations in FIFA's world rankings, who each select their top 10 players from a 30-man shortlist.


While there is no cash reward attached to the trophy itself, winning it can trigger massive bonuses from clubs and sponsors and significantly boost a player's market value.


Putellas, who claimed the women's Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022, helped Barcelona reclaim the Champions League title last season before making a move to London City Lionesses.


Her former Barcelona teammate, Poland striker Ewa Pajor, is seen as her closest rival after netting 11 goals in Barcelona's most recent Champions League triumph.

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