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Ballon d'Or 2026: Kane, Yamal, Mbappe and the contenders
Harry Kane eyes historic English Ballon d'Or win as Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe vie for youngest and top scorer honors
In brief
Harry Kane eyes historic English Ballon d'Or win as Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe vie for youngest and top scorer honors Harry Kane aims to become the first English Ballon d'Or winner since 2001 while Lamine Yamal seeks youngest winner and Kylian Mbappe targets his first trophy after becoming World Cup all-time top…
Harry Kane: The record-breaker
Kane scored 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches during 2025/26 season including 14 in Champions League games and 12 for England.
“He smashed the record to become the fastest player to 100 Bundesliga goals in 98 games”
Lamine Yamal: The youngest contender
Yamal scored 25 goals for club and country across 2025/26 including three in Champions League knockouts.
“He's the youngest-ever player to reach 40 goals for Barcelona”
Kylian Mbappe: World Cup top scorer
Mbappe scored 31 goals this calendar year including 10 during a record-breaking World Cup campaign where he became all-time top scorer.
“I made a lot of history this summer in the biggest competition in the world”
Ousmane Dembele: Reigning champion
Dembele scored 20 goals for PSG and helped France reach World Cup semi-finals with six goals and two assists.
“Winning successive Ballon d'Or awards is a rare feat”
Bruno Fernandes: Assist record
Fernandes broke the Premier League assists record with 21 assists during 2025/26 season.
“He's the Portuguese magnifico”
Erling Haaland: Future contender
Haaland has scored 169 goals in 205 appearances since joining Manchester City in 2022.
“He will beat both Messi and Ronaldo to 1,000 career goals”
Rodri: World Cup captain
Rodri won the Golden Ball as best World Cup player and is a strong contender for Ballon d'Or.
“Winning the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year is virtually impossible”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Champions League star
Kvaratskhelia led Paris Saint-Germain to Champions League title with 12 goals and 10 assists in knockout stages.
“He's the catalyst behind PSG's ascent”
The contenders
Kane, Yamal, Mbappe and Dembele are the top contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or award.
“He's the youngest ever winner in the award's history”
The timeline
The Ballon d'Or winner will be announced in London on October 26, 2026.
“The award is given in London on October 26”
The stakes
Kane aims to become first English Ballon d'Or winner since Michael Owen in 2001 while Yamal seeks youngest winner.
“He's the youngest ever player to reach 40 goals for Barcelona”
The history
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award in football, given annually since 1956.
“It's the most prestigious individual award in football”
The competition
The competition features players from across the world with varying levels of international and club success.
“It's the most prestigious individual award in football”
The impact
Winning the Ballon d'Or can lead to increased global recognition and financial opportunities for players.
“Winning the Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award in football”
The future
The next Ballon d'Or winner will be announced in October 2026 with Kane, Yamal and Mbappe as top contenders.
“The award is given in London on October 26”
The main idea
Harry Kane aims to become the first English Ballon d'Or winner since 2001 while Lamine Yamal seeks youngest winner and Kylian Mbappe targets his first trophy after becoming World Cup all-time top scorer
