- Robert Lewandowski has named his preferred winner ahead of the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London
- The Polish legend revealed a surprising player he believes could have been a frontrunner for the award
- Lewandowski drew a direct comparison between this year's contenders and the historic 2020 Bayern Munich squad
Robert Lewandowski, one of the greatest strikers of his generation, has shared his views on who deserves to lift the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony set to take place at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26.
The Polish forward, who now plies his trade at Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer after stints at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, is widely regarded as the finest player never to have won the award.
Source: Getty Images
His case was arguably strongest in 2020, when he was the overwhelming frontrunner, only for the pandemic to force the cancellation of that year's ceremony.
He received the FIFA Best award as a consolation, but the Ballon d'Or remained elusive.
Lewandowski backs Yamal to claim Ballon d'Or
Now in his late thirties and removed from European football, the veteran striker spoke candidly to The Athletic about the two players he sees as genuine contenders: Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane.
When asked to pick between them, Lewandowski made his preference clear.
"Of course, I push my finger for Lamine to win the Ballon d'Or, because he's amazing, especially for his age, but still, if you compare now to the previous time, it's a little bit different," he said.
The Barcelona teenager has drawn widespread admiration for his performances at club and international level, and Lewandowski sees echoes of Lionel Messi's early brilliance in the youngster's development.
Kane falls short without Champions League glory
While Lewandowski spoke warmly of Kane's contribution at Bayern Munich, he suggested that the England captain's Ballon d'Or prospects were ultimately undermined by the club's failure to win the Champions League last season, GiveMeSport reports.
"He came to Bayern in his prime and what he's doing is amazing, how many goals he's scoring," Lewandowski said, adding that Bayern had clearly missed a clinical striker following his own departure.
He also singled out Michael Olise and Luis Díaz as key components of a formidable attacking unit, describing the trio's combination as "a perfect match."
He drew a direct parallel to Bayern's 2020 campaign, when the club swept every major trophy available.
"If they won the Champions League last year, that probably would be (seen) the same as the year we had in 2020, that we won everything, because they played amazing," he noted.
Lewandowski tips Olise as a future Ballon d'Or contender
Beyond the two frontrunners, Lewandowski reserved particular praise for Olise, arguing that the French winger possesses the qualities to one day compete for the award himself.
"I know that everyone is talking about Lamine, but I try to find sometimes the different players and see something, sometimes that not everyone sees yet," he said.
He added that a stronger World Cup showing could have placed Olise firmly in the conversation alongside Yamal and Kane.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony begins at 17:00 GMT, with the men's award expected towards the end of the four-hour event.
Other prizes to be presented include the women's award, the young player's award, and the goalkeeper award.
Updated Ballon d'Or rankings
Legit.ng previously reported about the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will move from its long-time home in Paris to London’s Palladium Theatre on October 26. Kane leads the predictions, ahead of Barcelona teenager Yamal and Messi.
But the winner has already been decided: journalists cast their votes by September 28, nearly a month before the ceremony. The London event will announce the result, not reveal it live.
Source: Legit.ng