International football
Ballon d'Or on Monday in London: Kane and his 73 goals take on Mbappé, Yamal and Rodri
For the first time in 70 years the ceremony is held in the British capital; voting closed at the end of September, so form in the new season has no bearing.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 23, 2026, 15:50 · Updated 18:46 · 2 min read
In brief
- Harry Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern and 12 for England during the assessment period.
- Mbappé was the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup but won no trophy with Real Madrid or France.
- The assessment period ran from Aug. 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the day of the World Cup final.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or will be awarded on Monday in London, Harry Kane's hometown, the first time in the award's 70-year history that the ceremony is held in the British capital. In an analysis by ATSH (the Albanian Telegraphic Agency), Kane is listed among the favorites, alongside Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Rodri.
The favorites' cases
Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern and 12 for England, 73 in all, six of them at the World Cup, where England finished third. He won the Bundesliga and the German Cup and was the German league's top scorer for a third straight season. On the other hand, Bayern were knocked out by PSG in the Champions League semifinals and England by Argentina in the World Cup semifinals.
Mbappé was the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup and set records in the tournament, the Champions League and La Liga, but won no trophy with Real Madrid or with France, who were stopped by Spain in the semifinals. Rodri was named the World Cup's best player after a disappointing season with Manchester City, before his move to Barcelona, while Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona but with fewer goals than Kane. According to the analysis, the chances of Messi, an eight-time winner, are slim.
How the vote works
The award is presented by the magazine “France Football” together with UEFA. The assessment period ran from Aug. 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the day of the World Cup final, and voting closed at the end of September. Sports journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking vote, each choosing 10 players from the 30 candidates: first place gets 15 points, 10th place 1 point.
