2026 Ballon d’Or: On award day, bookmakers have already named their winner

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be awarded on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, the ceremony’s first time outside Paris. Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is the bookmakers’ clear favorite after scoring 61 goals for Bayern and 73 including England, as well as winning a domestic double and finishing third at the World Cup. Lamine Yamal, with 24 goals, 18 assists and a La Liga title, and Kylian Mbappé, top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, are among the leading contenders. The 100-member journalist jury submitted its votes on September 8, and the winner will be revealed at a ceremony starting at 8 p.m. Dakar time.