France Football is expected to announce the 30 player shortlist and voting deadline for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award in August, but several football stars have already emerged as leading contenders for the prestigious honour.
The assessment period for this year’s award runs from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, with several players delivering outstanding performances at both club and international levels.
Here are the top three players expected to finish among the leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or:
Lamine Yamal
The 19 year old Barcelona winger could become the youngest player in history to win the Ballon d’Or. Yamal enjoyed a remarkable season after helping Barcelona secure the LaLiga title before leading Spain to glory at the FIFA World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe remains one of the strongest candidates after producing a historic World Cup campaign. The Real Madrid forward scored 10 goals at the tournament to claim the Golden Ball and also won the Pichichi award in LaLiga.
Harry Kane
The Bayern Munich striker had a record breaking 2025 and 2026 season, scoring more club goals than any other player worldwide. The England captain netted 61 times for Bayern as the German giants secured another Bundesliga title and won the DFB Pokal.
