Kane, Mbappe and Yamal battle for 2026 Ballon d'Or as leak prompts action ahead of London ceremony

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place at the London Palladium on Monday evening, with Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal the three frontrunners for the men’s award — and organisers moving to address a reported leak of the winner ahead of the event.

Kane arrives as a strong contender after spearheading Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and captaining England to the World Cup semi-finals in North America. Mbappe enhanced his own claim by becoming the all-time leading scorer at a single World Cup tournament, taking home the Golden Boot in the process. Yamal, meanwhile, won the World Cup with Spain and La Liga with Barcelona, cementing a remarkable season for the 18-year-old.

All three players have been in contention throughout the voting period, and Kane has reportedly expressed confidence in his chances ahead of the announcement. The precise nature of the action taken over the alleged winner leak has not been fully detailed, but organisers are understood to be aware of the situation.

On the women’s side, Alexia Putellas of London City Lionesses is the favourite to claim the award, which would add to her previous Ballon d’Or victories.

The ceremony marks the first time the prestigious event has been held in London, with the iconic West End venue providing a high-profile stage for one of football’s most celebrated annual occasions.