2026 Ballon d’Or: Kane, Yamal lead contenders as Messi, Mbappé return to debate

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With the 2025/26 football season effectively over following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the debate over who should win the next Ballon d’Or has taken centre stage.

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The race for the prestigious individual award is already shaping up as one of the most intriguing in recent years, with Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri and defending champion Ousmane Dembélé among the prominent names in early rankings and discussions by football figures and major sporting outlets, according to Sports Illustrated.

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The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26, 2026, with the winner set to succeed Dembélé, who claimed the 2025 award.

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According to UEFA, Messi remains the record winner with eight Ballon d’Or titles, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.

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The 2026 race has been shaped by contrasting cases.

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Kane has been backed for his remarkable individual numbers and club form, while Yamal’s case has been strengthened by Spain’s World Cup triumph.

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Messi and Mbappé have also returned strongly to the conversation following their performances in the tournament, while Rodri and Dembélé remain prominent names in assessments of the race.

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Several football legends, former players and major sporting outlets have already tipped, backed or identified their preferred candidates.

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Here are some of the strongest endorsements and assessments so far.

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1. Jamie Carragher — Harry Kane

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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has offered one of the clearest direct endorsements of the race, saying Harry Kane should win the 2026 Ballon d’Or based on his performances over the previous 12 months.

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“Based on the past 12 months, Kane should win the Ballon d’Or,” Carragher said.

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However, the former England international acknowledged that Kane could lose out because the award is being decided in a World Cup year, with voters potentially favouring a player from the victorious nation, Goal reported.

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2. Rodri — Lamine Yamal

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The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, has backed his Spain teammate Lamine Yamal to win the award in the future.

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Before the World Cup, Rodri said the Barcelona winger possessed the qualities required to become a Ballon d’Or winner, according to beIN SPORTS.

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Yamal’s case has since been significantly strengthened by Spain’s World Cup triumph, with major sporting outlets placing him among the leading contenders alongside Kane and other prominent candidates.

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3. William Gallas — Lamine Yamal

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Former France international William Gallas has also backed Yamal, reportedly arguing after the World Cup that the teenager had a stronger case for the 2026 award than Kane.

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According to Bavarian Football Works, Gallas believes Yamal’s contribution to Spain’s World Cup triumph carries greater weight than Kane’s individual goalscoring numbers, particularly as England’s campaign ended before the final.

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4. Bacary Sagna — Michael Olise

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Former Arsenal and France defender Bacary Sagna identified Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise as another player who could have entered serious Ballon d’Or contention under different circumstances.

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Sagna said Olise could have won the award if Bayern had won the Champions League, describing the Frenchman as an “artist on the pitch.”

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He argued that Olise’s creativity and decisive performances had put him in the conversation, while predicting a bright future for the winger even if he did not finish among the top three in 2026, Bavarian Football Works reported.

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5. Sporting outlets — Kane, Yamal

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The wider media debate has increasingly narrowed around Kane and Yamal.

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Sporting News ranked both players among the leading candidates even before the World Cup, while TalkSPORT reported after the tournament that they had emerged as the two leading contenders.

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Their cases, however, are built on different foundations.

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Kane has the advantage of extraordinary individual numbers and a strong club season, while Yamal combines elite club success with a World Cup-winning campaign for Spain.

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6. L’Équipe readers — Kylian Mbappé

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Kylian Mbappé has also received significant backing.

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A poll conducted by French sports newspaper L’Équipe gave the Real Madrid forward the strongest support among more than 35,000 respondents. Mbappé reportedly received nearly 32 per cent of the vote, ahead of Yamal and Kane.

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His case has been built around his 2026 season, including 10 goals at the World Cup, which made him the tournament’s top scorer, as well as his record-breaking scoring achievements for France and in the competition.

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7. L’Équipe and CBS Sports — Lionel Messi

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Messi has also returned strongly to the Ballon d’Or conversation after another remarkable World Cup campaign.

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L’Équipe described him as a natural candidate for a ninth Ballon d’Or after he led Argentina to the final, scoring eight goals and providing four assists at the tournament.

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CBS Sports similarly argued that Messi’s extraordinary World Cup could thrust him back into the race, particularly after several leading contenders failed to win the tournament.

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8. Ousmane Dembélé — defending champion

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Dembélé remains a serious contender because he is the defending Ballon d’Or winner.

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Before the World Cup, the Frenchman was among the major names being considered for a possible second consecutive award.

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A CBS Sports Golazo programme also discussed Dembélé as a leading candidate while comparing his chances with those of Mbappé, Yamal, Kane, Erling Haaland, Raphinha and others.

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The 2026 Ballon d’Or race is therefore already producing competing arguments: Kane’s extraordinary individual numbers, Yamal’s World Cup triumph, Mbappé’s goalscoring records, Messi’s remarkable tournament, and the continued claims of established stars such as Dembélé and Rodri.

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With the final votes still to be cast, the question is no longer simply who had the best season, but which achievement voters will ultimately value most.

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