The ceremony is held in London with anticipation at its peak
Amman4 min read
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Englishman Harry Kane, the striker for German football club Bayern Munich, tops the list of nominees to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or award, ahead of the ceremony scheduled to be held today, Monday, in the British capital, London, for the first time in the history of the award, which has traditionally been hosted by the French capital, Paris.
The ceremony will take place at the London Palladium theatre, celebrating the 70th edition of the award presented by "France Football" magazine since 1956, which is considered one of the most prominent individual awards in global football. London's selection to host the event for the first time is a tribute to Englishman Stanley Matthews, the first player to win the award in 1956.
Kane appears to be the leading candidate to claim the award after having an exceptional season with Bayern Munich, during which he scored 73 goals across various competitions with the club and the national team during the 2025/2026 season.
He also won the Bundesliga title and received the competition's top scorer award, won the DFB-Pokal and topped its scoring charts, while Bayern reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Kane's chances were bolstered by his strong start to the 2026/2027 season, despite his team's exit from the Champions League semi-finals and the England national team finishing third in the World Cup.
Kane, 33, hopes to become the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d'Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, and could also become the first Englishman to win it since Michael Owen in 2001.
Flick praises Yamal: He deserves the Ballon d'Or
The competition will not be easy, given the strong season Lamine Yamal had with Barcelona and the Spain national team.
The young player scored 25 goals and provided 20 assists during the period covered by the nominees' statistics, contributed to Barcelona winning the La Liga title, topped the competition's assist charts, and was a vital element in Spain's World Cup victory.
As for Kylian Mbappé, he scored 58 goals and provided 13 assists with Real Madrid and the France national team, finished as the top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, and also topped the World Cup scoring charts after netting 10 goals in the tournament.
Argentine Lionel Messi also stands out among the nominees after scoring 45 goals and providing 30 assists, leading Inter Miami to the MLS title, alongside reaching the World Cup final with the Argentina national team.
The nominees list also includes a number of football's biggest stars, including Michael Olise, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Rodri, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, alongside Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 award winner, and Rodri, who won it in 2024.
In addition to the men's Ballon d'Or, the ceremony will feature the presentation of the women's Ballon d'Or, the Kopa Trophies for the best male and female under-21 players, the Yashin Trophies for the best male and female goalkeepers, the Gerd Müller Trophies for the best male and female top scorers, the Johan Cruyff Trophies for the best male and female coaches, the awards for the best men's and women's clubs, as well as the Sócrates Award for humanitarian and social works, bringing the total number of awards to 13.
Women's Awards
In the women's competition, Spain's Alexia Putellas tops the list of prominent names after leading Barcelona to a trophy-laden season that included La Liga, the Queen's Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Women's Champions League.
Putellas, a two-time winner of the award, seeks to get closer to the record held by her compatriot Aitana Bonmatí, who won it three times in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Also standing out is Jamaica's Khadija Shaw, the Manchester City striker, who topped the Women's Super League scoring charts for the third consecutive season after scoring 21 goals and helping her team win the league title and the Women's FA Cup.
The list of nominees also includes Poland's Ewa Pajor, the Barcelona striker, who topped the Women's Champions League scorers with 11 goals, and Haiti's Melchie Dumornay, the Lyon player.
Other awards include recognizing the best young talents, goalkeepers, goalscorers, and coaches, alongside the clubs that achieved the best results, while the Sócrates Award highlights humanitarian and social initiatives related to football.
The men's Ballon d'Or relies on the votes of 100 journalists from around the world who evaluate a final shortlist of 30 players. Voting is based on the players' individual performance and impact, followed by collective achievements and won titles, alongside sportsmanship and fair play commitment.
As the ceremony approaches, all eyes are on Kane, who could end the Ballon d'Or wait for Bayern Munich and England, but the final outcome will remain subject to the journalists' votes in a race featuring a group of the game's brightest stars.
