Ballon d'Or: Messi, Yamal and Mbappe among favourites; how the winners are decided

The Ballon d'Or winners will be announced on Monday, with a new generation of football stars, led by Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, hoping to win the award that was dominated for years by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.At 39, Messi still remains in contention for football's biggest individual honour after his performances at the World Cup. While the focus is increasingly shifting towards a potential Yamal-Mbappé rivalry, Harry Kane's remarkable goalscoring form could delay the start of a new era by another year.The women's award will have a new winner after Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati, who claimed the honour for the past three years, missed out on the shortlist following a leg fracture in December.Two-time winner Alexia Putellas is the favourite to claim the award for the third time.Here's everything you need to know about the Ballon d'Or, which translates from French as Golden Ball.Where and when is the Ballon d'Or ceremony?The ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on Monday at 2000 GMT. It is the first time the annual event has been held outside France since 2015 and the first time it will be staged in London.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the awards, which were introduced by French magazine France Football in 1956. The women's Ballon d'Or was established in 2018.

The favourites to win the Ballon d'Or

Four players have emerged as the leading contenders from the 30-man shortlist for the men's award: Yamal, Mbappé, Kane and Messi. They are competing for the trophy won by Ousmane Dembélé last year.Yamal, who was named the best young player in each of the past two years, is well placed to win his first Ballon d'Or after helping Spain win the World Cup and Barcelona claim the Spanish title.Mbappé, meanwhile, was expected to establish himself as the world's best player long before now. He won the World Cup with France in 2018 at the age of 19, but his position in the Ballon d'Or rankings has slipped in recent years. He finished seventh last year.The French forward had an outstanding individual season last term and also became the highest scorer in World Cup history. However, his inability to lead Real Madrid or France to trophies could count against him in the voting.Kane's case is different. The England captain has broken goalscoring records in Germany while winning titles with Bayern Munich. He was also among the leading performers at the World Cup, where England finished third.

Messi refuses to leave the conversation

Many expected Messi to fade from the Ballon d'Or race after moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) to play for Inter Miami. However, the Argentine, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, has continued to make his presence felt.He guided Miami to their first MLS Cup last season before producing another impressive World Cup campaign with Argentina. Messi helped his country come within one win of securing back-to-back World Cup titles.Argentina eventually lost the final to Spain, but Messi once again played a major role in the tournament.

Putellas favourite to reclaim the women's award

Putellas is the favourite to win the women's Ballon d'Or after returning to her best form and helping Barcelona win the Champions League and Spanish title before joining London City Lionesses.The Spain international suffered ligament damage in the past, during which time Bonmati rose to become the leading name in women's football. Putellas now has the chance to return to the top by winning the award for a third time, although Bonmati's absence due to injury means she will not face the three-time defending champion.Other leading contenders include Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw and Barcelona's Claudia Pina.

How is the Ballon d'Or decided?

The Ballon d'Or winner is determined by a vote, with one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings taking part.The criteria include individual and team performances, “decisive and impressive character” and “class and fair play.”Each journalist selects 10 players from the 30 nominees and ranks them in order. The first choice receives 15 points, while the 10th receives one point. The player with the highest total wins the Ballon d'Or.If players finish level on points, the winner is decided by the number of first-place votes. If the tie remains, second-place votes are considered, followed by the subsequent positions.

Kane's recent form will not count towards the award

Kane has continued to score at an impressive rate, with records falling along the way.Last month, he became the fastest player to score 100 Bundesliga goals, reaching the milestone in just 98 appearances.His form at the start of the season has strengthened his case for the Ballon d'Or.

However, there is one important limitation: the voting period ended after the World Cup. The official period ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026.Kane's performances and trophies during that period have already made him a serious contender. Had the opening weeks of the current campaign also been included, his case for being named the world's best player would have been even stronger.

Players with the most Ballon d'Or wins

Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or titles, the most recent of which came in 2023. Ronaldo is second with five wins, having last claimed the award in 2017.Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten have won the trophy three times each.