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Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe battle for the Ballon d’Or as London hosts the star-studded ceremony tonight and prepares to award football’s most prestigious individual award.
England captain and Bayern Munich striker Kane is the favourite after an astonishing display of goalscoring last season, with 89 goals for club and country in just 81 appearances since the start of last season.
The 33-year-old is also bidding to become the first English winner of the award since Michael Owen in 2001, which would come in London and on the 70th anniversary of Sir Stanley Matthews winning the very first Ballon d’Or.
Teenager superstar Yamal has become Kane’s main rival amid an increasingly competitive PR campaign aimed to swing the votes of the 100 journalists from the world’s top 100 football nations after being part of Spain’s World Cup triumph, with the Golden Ball winner Rodri giving his team-mate his backing.
Mbappe broke the all-time World Cup goalscoring record this summer and won the Golden Boot thanks to a remarkable 10 goals, while Lionel Messi is also likely to place high in tonight’s results.
Follow all the latest updates and results from the Ballon d’Or, below
Copa Independent | Kane v Yamal – and is the Ballon d'Or just a PR contest?The Copa Independent team of Miguel Delaney, Richard Jolly and Lawrence Ostlere discussed the merits of each Ballon d’Or candidate in last week’s episode, as well as whether the award has simply become a PR contest.
Give it a listen:
Copa Independent | Kane v Yamal – and is the Ballon d'Or just a PR contest?Luke Baker26 October 2026 13:12
Welcome to uncanny valley...The three main Ballon d’Or contenders (Kane, Yamal and Mbappe) have been immortalised at Madame Tussauds waxwork museum in London this week. As good as the waxworks are, looking at them is a typically unerring experience...
(PA)(PA)(PA)Luke Baker26 October 2026 12:56
The unique way Harry Kane has reversed the Ballon d’Or debate“It’s very stressful,” said Harry Kane, though he had scarcely looked stressed as he gave a masterclass. It is too late to sway the electorate anyway.
The votes have been cast and either Kane will become England’s first Ballon d’Or winner for 25 years and Bayern Munich’s first for 45, or the serial scorer who was in his thirties before one of his teams won a trophy will find the most prestigious individual award elusive as well.
But if part of the case for Kane was apparent in his performance against Arsenal earlier this week, part of it comes from his consistency and character. On a night when Bayern began without Michael Olise, due to suspension, and Luis Diaz, courtesy of managerial choice, Kane was the outstanding player in Europe’s marquee match.
Richard Jolly assesses Harry Kane’s candidacy and how Bayern Munich’s midweek clash with Arsenal showed exactly why he deserves to win it
Luke Baker26 October 2026 12:40
Harry Kane receiving the backing of teammatesHarry Kane’s Ballon d’Or candidacy has been receiving plenty of backing from teammates at club and country level.
“It would be lovely, you always wish it for a team-mate of yours to have that success or to get that trophy,” said Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry. “Has he done enough? I think you always talk about a lot of different markers as to what is needed to win the Ballon d’Or.
“But he had an incredible year, so for me of course he’s done enough. He’s showed his quality and he’s a key player to our team so those are big attributes to win such a trophy. I would wish it for him, for sure.”
Meanwhile England teammate Declan Rice also backed the Three Lions skipper.
“For me, he's the clear winner,” Rice told TNT Sports after facing Kane in the Champions League with Arsenal earlier this week. “I think his numbers speak for himself. The year he's had has been remarkable.
“He’s obviously up against some other world-class players, but when you play with him, you realise how good he is, and when you play against him, you see how much of a pain he is.”
Harry Kane has been backed for the Ballon d’Or (Getty)Luke Baker26 October 2026 12:21
There is only one clear Ballon d’Or winner – if you ignore the PR campaignsThe reality of the modern Ballon d’Or is that it is a battleground akin to a political election, with campaigning and a PR drive crucial to securing the award. Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe have all been engaging in the proccess.
Players are desperate to seize the throne. There are legacies at stake here. Mbappe is the best player of his generation, the World Cup’s record goalscorer, and he will end his career as one of the game’s great forwards.
But it will not have escaped his attention that he is 27 and still hasn’t won the Ballon d’Or. Nor is he likely to this year, after failing to win a trophy with Real Madrid or France.
Our Chief Sports Writer Lawrence Ostlere will be at the London Palladium for the ceremony this evening and he has previewed the men’s award here, including naming his winner:
Luke Baker26 October 2026 12:02
Countdown of men's and women's top 30sBefore we get to the ceremony tonight, there will be a countdown from 30th to 11th of both the men’s and women’s awards. Some early Ballon d’Or content to keep you satiated until the main event.
The top 10s will then be revealed during the ceremony itself.
We’re expecting the countdown for the women’s award to start around 4pm, with the men’s award at some point within the hour afterwards. When we get more specific times, we’ll let you know.
The Ballon d’Or trophies will be awarded this evening (AFP/Getty)Luke Baker26 October 2026 11:45
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominationsMeanwhile, the women’s Ballon d’Or award appears to be a bit more open and shut than the men’s equivalent.
Aitana Bonmati’s three-year stranglehold on the award will come to an end after a horrific leg break ruled her out of action for a number of months and means she doesn’t make the shortlist. Her Spanish teammate Alexia Putellas is the overwhelming favourite to become a three-time winner herself by adding to her 2021 and 2022 awards.
Last season Putellas scored 22 goals in 45 appearances for Barcelona, helping them win the quadruple, and netted five times in eight games as Spain lifted the Nations League crown. She then made a stunning move to WSL side London City Lionesses this summer.
Her former Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor is probably Putellas’ closest rival, having scored 31 in 40 for Barca, as well as providing 12 assists, and top scoring in the Champions League with 11 goals in 10 matches. But Putellas’ victory appears to be a fait accompit
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Luke Baker26 October 2026 11:30
Men’s Ballon d’Or nominationsHere’s the full list of 30 nominees for the men’s award, led of course by Harry Kane.
Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are the other Englishmen nominated, while the likes of Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are among the Premier League representation.
Luke Baker26 October 2026 11:19
Kane vs Yamal vs Mbappe?The men’s award tonight looks set to be a three-way battle between Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.
England captain and Bayern Munich striker Kane is the favourite, aiming to be the first English player to win the men’s award since Michael Owen in 2001. Despite lacking a continental trophy, the 33-year-old’s ludicrous goalscoring record, plus his penchant for assists, have positioned him nicely to secure the honour.
Spain and Barcelona superstar Yamal appeared to be Kane’s closest competitor for a long time after helping his country to World Cup glory and his club to another LaLiga title.
But Mbappe has made a late surge and is now second favourite in the betting, aided by breaking the World Cup goalscoring record this summer after netting an incredible 10 times across the tournament.
Rodri, the Ballon d’Or winner in 2024, won the golden ball as the World Cup’s best player, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was arguably the standout player in the men’s Champions League last season after inspiring PSG to claim back-to-back titles.
Harry Kane (left) and Lamine Yamal (right) are two of the main contenders for the men’s award (AFP/Getty)Luke Baker26 October 2026 11:04
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony and how can I watch?A few basics to get us started.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London this evening with the event getting underway from 8pm GMT. The event traditionally takes place in Paris but to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the crowning of Sir Stanley Matthews, the very first winner of the trophy in 1956, it will be hosted at the legendary London Palladium Theatre.
You can watch the ceremony on the official website ballondor.com or DAZN, globally, with a free live stream available from both, while Independent Sport will bring you updates, reaction and analysis in this very live blog.
The London Palladium will host the 2026 Ballon d’Or (Getty)Luke Baker26 October 2026 10:57