Kane leads Ballon d'Or 2026 contenders as ceremony set for London on 26 October

Harry Kane heads into the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony as the favourite to claim the men’s award when the event is held in London on Monday 26 October, with the night’s proceedings beginning at 8pm GMT.

The Bayern Munich and England captain would become the first English player to win the men’s prize since Michael Owen in 2001. At 33, Kane’s prolific record for goals and assists across the season has placed him at the front of the field despite the absence of a continental trophy from his cabinet.

Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona and Spain forward, is considered Kane’s closest rival, while Kylian Mbappe enters the conversation after a record-breaking World Cup campaign in which the Real Madrid and France striker scored 10 goals across the tournament — surpassing the all-time World Cup goalscoring record.

Defending champion Rodri, who claimed the 2024 Ballon d’Or, strengthened his case further by winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup after leading Spain to the title. The Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder remains a credible contender for back-to-back honours.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was widely regarded as the standout performer in last season’s Champions League, inspiring Paris Saint-Germain to back-to-back European titles. The Georgian winger’s absence from the World Cup through a season-ending knee injury, however, may cost him votes.

The full 25-man shortlist for the men’s award includes Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Joao Neves (PSG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Willian Pacho (PSG), Julian Quinones (Al Qadsiah), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr) and Marquinhos (PSG), among others.