Harry Kane leads a tight Ballon d’Or race as London hosts the 2026 ceremony
Bookmakers have Harry Kane as the favourite after he scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England, won the German league and cup, and helped England reach the World Cup semi-finals, according to Sky Sports and the BBC. Lamine Yamal, who won La Liga and the World Cup with Spain, and Kylian Mbappé are also in contention. The ceremony is being held in London to mark 70 years since the first award, presented to Stanley Matthews in Blackpool.
Bottom line — Kane could become the first English Ballon d’Or winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
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Sky Sports says Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern and 12 for England; Mbappé scored 58 overall and Yamal 25.
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Mbappé led the Champions League scoring with 15 goals, one ahead of Kane, despite Real Madrid’s quarter-final exit, Sky Sports reports.
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Yamal provided 20 assists, more than Kane’s eight or Mbappé’s 13, and made the most dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues, according to Sky Sports.
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The BBC’s pundits disagree on the likely winner: several back Kane, while others expect Yamal or favour Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
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The Evening Standard says the London Palladium will host the ceremony, which has usually been held in Paris since 2019.
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Yamal is also favourite to win the Kopa Trophy for a third consecutive year, the Evening Standard reports.