Kane leads 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist as first English favourite since Owen in 2001

Harry Kane has been named among the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or and is considered the current favourite to win the award, which would make him the first English player to claim the prize since Michael Owen in 2001.

The Bayern Munich and England captain scored 73 goals across club and country last season, a figure that has placed him ahead of the field in early assessments. The one question mark hanging over his candidacy is the absence of a major trophy — a factor that has historically weighed against individual nominees.

Defending champion Rodri, who won the golden ball at the 2026 World Cup after guiding Spain to the title, is among the strongest challengers. Now at Barcelona, the midfielder remains one of the most decorated players in the current shortlist. France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is another serious contender after breaking the World Cup goalscoring record with 10 goals across the tournament.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia rounds out the leading group. The Georgian winger did not feature at the World Cup but was widely regarded as the standout performer in last season’s Champions League, helping PSG retain their European crown.

The ceremony will be held in London on Monday, 26 October.

Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona and Spain), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid and Spain), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain and France), Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich and Colombia), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United and Portugal), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal and Brazil), Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr and Senegal), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan and Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami and Argentina), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich and France), Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain and Ecuador), Julian Quinones (Al Qadsiah and Mexico), Declan Rice (Arsenal and England), Rodri (Barcelona and Spain), Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain and Spain), William Saliba (Arsenal and France), Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain and Spain), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich and France), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid and Brazil), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal).

Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees (partial)

Selma Bacha (Lyon and France), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride and Zambia), Esmee Brugts (Barcelona and Netherlands), Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich and Germany), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal and Spain), Scarlett Camberos (Club America and Mexico), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current and Malawi), Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City and Netherlands).