Star forwards Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane will find out on Monday night if they have collected enough points from an international panel of football writers to claim the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
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The three are among the 30 men in the running for the sport's most prestigious individual prize.
Since the Blackpool and England winger Stanley Matthews was presented with the inaugural award in 1956 in Blackpool, north-west England, 47 players have been handed the trophy at gala events in France and Switzerland.
As a tribute to Matthews and to celebrate the Ballon d'Or's 70th anniversary, the 2026 awards ceremony will be held in England at the London Palladium.
A victory for London-born Kane would provide a neat historical link to Matthews.
But beyond pure sentimentality, the stats stack up too for Kane.
During the Ballon d'Or judging period between 3 August 2025 and 19 July 2026, Kane scored 73 goals.
Kane's record year
His 61 strikes helped Bayern win a 34th German top-flight title and a 21st German Cup.
Kane scored 12 goals as he skippered England through the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and at the World Cup where they finished third.
“From my point of view, I’d love to know and not have to wait throughout the whole night," said Kane after Bayern's Champions League match against Arsenal last Wednesday.
"But it is their [the organiser's] decision," added the 33-year-old. "I can’t control that. We’ll have to just enjoy it and try not to stress out too much. I try not to think about it. There are always rumours and stuff flying around so you try to stay away from it.”
Mbappé and Yamal campaigns
By contrast, Mbappé and Yamal have been open about their worthiness for the honour.
In an interview with RFI, Mbappé said winning the Ballon d'Or was one of the objectives rather than an imperative of a sporting career that has taken him from the French Ligue 1 clubs Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid.
"I've got a chance to win because I’ve had a good year," said the 27-year-old France skipper who finished top of the scoring charts in Spain's top division, the Champions League and at the World Cup.
Mbappé, one of five Frenchmen vying for the award, added: "I’ve had a great year on a personal level. And I know that’s the most important criterion for the Ballon d’Or.
"I was the top scorer in all the major competitions and I think this could be a good year for me – I’ve got a good feeling about it."
But for all his goals, Mbappé failed to lift a trophy with his teams unlike his French rivals Michael Olise and the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
Karim de la crème: Benzema tops the class to claim Ballon d'Or
Yamal, one of six Spaniards competing for the prize, won the 2026 La Liga title with Barcelona and he was part of the Spain side which beat Argentina in the final on 19 July to claim the 2026 World Cup.
“I sincerely believe I would deserve it this year, because of what I have won," said Yamal in the run-up to Monday night's ceremony.
"In my opinion, Mbappé and I are the two best players in the world. That’s very clear, and everyone who watches the matches knows it."
Host of awards during gala
Thirty players, including two-time winner Alexia Putellas will vie for the women's Ballon d'Or.
Trophies will also be presented to the best young male and female players under 21. There will also be men's and women's prizes for the best goalkeeper and the most prolific striker.
PSG's stars and head coach listed for top awards at Ballon d'Or gala
PSG boss Luis Enrique won the 2025 men's coach of the year for steering his side to a French league and cup double as well as the Champions League.
The 56-year-old Spaniard features among the 2026 nominees for the same award after leading his team to the 2026 Champions League title and Ligue 1.
On the back of those feats, PSG are also in the race for the men's club of the year along with Arsenal, the Brazilian side Flamengo, Bayern Munich and the Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt.