The Ballon d’Or 2026 will be crowned soon as the world’s best footballers compete for the sport’s biggest individual prize.
The nominees for the latest edition of the annual award presented by French magazine France Football were officially announced on Tuesday (September 8), with England captain Harry Kane leading the charge.
World Cup winner Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe are also expected to feature prominently in the running for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rodri and Lionel Messi also potential options.
Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele is the current holder of the golden football trophy, taking over from Rodri last year.
Here is all you need to know about the Ballon d’Or 2026...
When is the Ballon d’Or 2026?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or awards take place on Monday, October 26, 2026. This year’s event is being held in London for the very first time, with a specific venue yet to be announced.
It usually takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, but this year it is moving to England to pay tribute to the 70th anniversary of Sir Stanley Matthews’ victory in the inaugural Ballon d’Or race back in 1956.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Kate Abdo are confirmed to host the event.
Top prize: The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award in all of football
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Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees and shortlist
Jude Bellingham
Pau Cubarsi
Ousmane Dembele
Marc Cucurella
Luis Diaz
Bruno Fernandes
Gabriel Magalhaes
Erling Haaland
Achraf Hakimi
Harry Kane
Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia
Lamine Yamal
Sadio Mane
Marquinhos
Lautaro Martinez
Kylian Mbappe
Nuno Mendes
Lionel Messi
Joao Neves
Michael Olise
Willian Pacho
Julian Quinones
Declan Rice
Rodri
Fabian Ruiz
William Saliba
Ferran Torres
Dayot Upamecano
Vinicius Jr
Vitinha
Ballon d’Or 2026 favourite
Kane is the current bookmakers’ favourite to claim his first Ballon d’Or award in 2026, following a phenomenal season with Bayern Munich in which his remarkable 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions powered Vincent Kompany’s side to a memorable domestic treble and also earned him a second European Golden Shoe.
He also played a vital role in England reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup earlier this summer, with the Three Lions eventually claiming third place ahead of favourites France.
Kane would be the first English winner of the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001 and fourth overall, adding to a list that also includes Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Stanley Matthews and the late Kevin Keegan, who did it twice in back-to-back years in 1978 and 1979 while playing in Germany with Hamburg.
Ballon d’Or 2026 odds
Holder: PSG and France forward Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d’Or award last year
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Who won the Ballon d’Or last year?
The trophy is currently held by Dembele, with the PSG forward having beaten Barcelona’s Yamal - who was runner-up and also won Young Player of the Year in 2025.
Who has won the most Ballon d’Or awards?
Messi comfortably leads the all-time list of Ballon d’Or wins with eight - three more than great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five. Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer all won three each during their illustrious careers.