Kane, Yamal, Mbappé and Messi head into Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony as countdown nears conclusion
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are among the leading contenders at Monday’s 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, with the countdown reaching its final stretch. Jude Bellingham has been placed 11th in the men’s standings, leaving the top 10 positions still to be announced.
The men’s Ballon d’Or field comprises a 30-player shortlist featuring many of world football’s biggest names, and organisers will also present awards for emerging talent, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and contributions beyond football. Paris Saint-Germain supplied multiple nominees, including Vitinha, Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes, while other shortlisted players include Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Rodri, Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Gabriel and William Saliba, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Luis Díaz, and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi among others.
The women’s Ballon d’Or top 10, released in alphabetical order by the organisers, includes ten players and contains five representatives from Barcelona. The list reads: Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England); Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses, Spain); Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway); Clàudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain); Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland); Khadija Shaw (Manchester City, Jamaica); Melchie Dumornay (Olympique Lyonnais, Haiti); Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain); Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark); and Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi).
Aitana Bonmatí, who won the women’s Ballon d’Or in each of the previous three editions, was absent from the shortlist after suffering a leg fracture, creating an opening for a new winner. Alexia Putellas — a two-time winner who helped Barcelona claim the Champions League and Spanish title before moving to London City Lionesses — is among the favourites, and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw and Barcelona’s Clàudia Pina are also named as players to watch.
Lionel Messi’s inclusion on the men’s 30-man shortlist marks his return after missing the previous two editions; the 39-year-old helped Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final, where the team fell short of securing another title. Messi’s domestic performances now occur outside Europe’s major leagues while his record of eight Ballon d’Or wins remains unmatched; the source notes that a ninth title would extend that record and complicate the narrative around a generational shift.
Lamine Yamal arrives as one of the youngest extensively discussed candidates, having registered 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances during the eligible period and reinforced his international profile with World Cup displays. The 19-year-old has previously won the award for the best young player in each of the last two years, and the organisers note that a senior Ballon d’Or triumph would represent a significant career advance.
Harry Kane’s statistical case is prominent: he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances across all competitions during the eligible period and combined that output with Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal success. England finished third at the World Cup, leaving Kane short of an international title, and the organisers state that his continued scoring after the official assessment window closed on July 19, 2026 will not count toward this year’s award; Kylian Mbappé’s prolific campaign is also recognised but the absence of major team silverware is mentioned as a complicating factor for his chances.
The Ballon d’Or winner, to be announced at Monday’s ceremony which marks the prize’s 70th anniversary, will succeed Ousmane Dembélé, who claimed the award in 2025. The result will determine whether the prize remains with established figures or passes to the newer generation of candidates.
