Ballon d'Or 2026: Yamal, Mbappe, Kane, and Messi lead the contenders
The Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony will be held Monday at the London Palladium, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi as the top contenders for men's soccer's highest individual prize. The men's award follows a World Cup where Messi, at 39, led Argentina to the final but lost to Spain, while Yamal helped Spain win the title and Barcelona claim the Spanish league. Kane broke scoring records with Bayern Munich, and Mbappé became the World Cup's all-time top scorer but won no major trophies. The women's award, won by Aitana Bonmati for three years, will see a new winner as she is absent due to a broken leg, with Alexia Putellas the favorite. Winners are chosen by journalists from FIFA's top 100 nations based on individual and team performances.