Mbappé, Kane and Yamal top favourites in wide-open Ballon d'Or race

Summary

French forward Kylian Mbappé, England captain Harry Kane and Spain's Lamine Yamal are among the favourites to be named the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner. The award ceremony is set for Monday night in London, the first time it has been hosted in England, in recognition of the first winner, Stanley Matthews. France 24 reports that the competition is tougher than ever and asks who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé. RFI reports that the three forwards will learn whether they have collected enough points from an international panel of football writers to claim the award.

Timeline

1. France 24

   26 Oct 2026, 04:38 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are among the favourites in a wide-open 2026 Ballon d'Or race, with the ceremony hosted on Monday for the first time in England.

2. RFI

   26 Oct 2026, 10:20 UTCSource ↗

   RFI reports that Mbappé, Yamal and Kane will find out on Monday night whether they have collected enough points from an international panel of football writers to claim the 2026 Ballon d'Or, at a London awards ceremony.

3. France 24

   26 Oct 2026, 12:33 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that the competition for this year's Ballon d'Or is tougher than ever, with Mbappé, Yamal and Kane leading a star-studded field, and asks who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé.