‎Who will win the 2026 Ballon D'or? 🏆⚽

[Hyphen(-)]

If we consider only the World Cup, Yamal cannot win this award. What kind of performance did Yamal put in at the World Cup to be deemed worthy of the Ballon d'Or?
If England had won the tournament, I would have said Kane would definitely win this award. That is because Kane performed exceptionally well in both the league and the Champions League last year.
Kane was more impactful for the national team than Yamal. Had Tuchel played Kane in the final match, he might even have become the top scorer.
Yamal is not the one who deserves this award; Kane should undoubtedly be the winner.

I have already given up about this discussion earlier because any of these players have one or two qualities that will qualify them to win the award.

Even if the just concluded World Cup will be used, there are players in the Spanish team that performed better than Yamal, but him being the player in the picture if top contenders, we can say that he can get that advantage if winning the World Cup and contributing to the success of the team can give him some points, but if we are to use overall season as a yardstick, he is not worthy of the award, his goals and assists are not up to others across all competitions. Though he won the domestic league which almost all the top candidates won their too except Mabappe, and he didn’t win the Champions League as well.

In general, as I said, the final voting will determine the winner, we don’t have any say, ours is just speculation.

[Rhow]

Yamal scored just one goal in the FIFA World Cup, that doesn’t disqualify him, but I am pointing it outside people who feel like he is the best option for the award, and both Mbappe, Olise, Kane, and Dembele have more goals than Yamal in the FIFA World Cup, but him winning the FIFA World Cup is the reason why people see him as the top candidate.
I think there is still time for Yamal to win the award, he has started this season so well, he can start building his chances to win the next award.

My thinking is very simple: the World Cup is the biggest event in global football—it’s what brings the whole world together to watch the sport. Therefore, the player who scores the most goals there is the one who most deserves the award, simply because that is what viewers remember most. Some people don't follow European club leagues; they only watch global football events like the World Cup, the Euros, and the Nations League, and the players who stand out in those competitions are the ones who really shine. That’s why I say Mbappé should be the winner. But now Lamine is scoring more goals in the Nations League—though I suppose that shouldn't count anymore, right?

If you are talking based on only the FIFA World cup since it is the biggest tournament this time, then the player that scored the highest goal is Mbappe, he scored 10 goals in the World Cup and also scored 15 goals in the Champions League last season, that means he deserves the award as well because he scored more goals that almost all the contestants, the only reason why some people are not counting on him is because they didn’t go far in the champions league, and France couldn’t make it to the finals of the World Cup this time.
Anything can happen, we can’t decide for the voters, they knows who to vote based on their instinct, only the result will settle this debate of who to win this award.

But that's not the case with the Ballon d'Or. If that were the case, I think his performance in the World Cup and club football would have definitely gone in his favor. But he can't be put ahead just by looking at the number of goals. Because you probably know that in the Ballon d'Or, it's not just the player who scores the most goals that is considered, but also how the player has played throughout the season, how much role he has played for the team in important matches and what his team has achieved. That's why I would say you can compare Mbappe with Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal's performance throughout the season. But remember that Rodri is a midfielder so comparing him to Mbappe based on the number of goals will not be right. The influence of the midfielder is different.

[Oluwa-btc]

I have already given up about this discussion earlier because any of these players have one or two qualities that will qualify them to win the award.

Even if the just concluded World Cup will be used, there are players in the Spanish team that performed better than Yamal, but him being the player in the picture if top contenders, we can say that he can get that advantage if winning the World Cup and contributing to the success of the team can give him some points, but if we are to use overall season as a yardstick, he is not worthy of the award, his goals and assists are not up to others across all competitions. Though he won the domestic league which almost all the top candidates won their too except Mabappe, and he didn’t win the Champions League as well.

In general, as I said, the final voting will determine the winner, we don’t have any say, ours is just speculation.

Harry Kane's numbers amazingly good for both national team and club side. Personally, I feel like if we use the ways Cristaino Ronaldo and Lionel Messi used to win it in the past, then for this season  it should be Harry Kane winning for his work rate and hardworking as the same time goals for both club and country.

Fabain Ruiz should come next who has previously won a lot of trophies that season and ended up adding the world cup  I think he deserves to be relied upon. I don't think Lamine Yamal deserves it, he is a great player but asides that, he should come second or third and not the first place holder.

[sergiorus]

~
It's basically only Kane vs. Yamal right now.  Fortunately, Harry Kane's odds jumped to the 1st place again which is hinting insiders might be buying the shares.

I'd say Mbappe and Rodri deserve it a little bit more but for now I'm fully rooting for Kane because if they give it to Yamal it would be the most embarrassing award ever and I might just lose all hope in it.

Wow, wonderful news! After that brazen manipulation, when Yamal's chances soared, I bought more bets on the position of Kane's victory and stopped checking what was going on there so as not to get upset   So it turns out I bought at the bottom   And yes, I agree with you, I can name several players who deserve the award besides Kane (for example, Olise), but now I’m rooting for him (not only for cash bets haha) because I would like some minimal justice. If it ends up being Yamal, it’ll be yet another slap in the face to normal people who actually watch football as a sport rather than as some damn theater production.

Yea it's approximately 49% versus 44% now, favouring Kane.

That Yamal's surge from 20% to 60% at the top was truly crazy but I think it was retail aping into Yamal shares on the rumours of his win that started circulating, whilst insiders were slowly absorbing the bets and bidding Kane shares (again, this is just what the chart suggests and how I see it).

[eisen33]

Yea it's approximately 49% versus 44% now, favouring Kane.

That Yamal's surge from 20% to 60% at the top was truly crazy but I think it was retail aping into Yamal shares on the rumours of his win that started circulating, whilst insiders were slowly absorbing the bets and bidding Kane shares (again, this is just what the chart suggests and how I see it).

I'd like Kane to win the Ballon d'Or, he's come a long way, and I like his game, he's a very talented player. Yamal on the other hand, is still very young, but he's already a world champion. And if you believe the conspiracy theories about Yamal being a baby in a photo with Messi giving him a bath, things aren't so clear-cut, although I'm not a fan of those theories. I think it would be too great an honor for Yamal to win everything at once.

[Betwrong]

~I voted for Mbappe ion this poll and was explaining why I think he should win in the thread, but now after reading other comments and seeing predictions and stuff, I'm now leaning towards Kane more. I mean, if it was up to me, I'd  give the 2026 Ballon D'or to Mbappe, but in reality, if no miracle happens, I think everyone knows that Kane is getting the prize.

I really want to know why you said everyone knows Kane is going to win the ballon D’or, as for me I believe that Mbappé deserve the ballon d’Or more than any player.
He is the only player that has won the highest goal scorer in the league his playing for, and in the champions league and lastly in the World Cup in the same year or season.
By doing this, he has made history and history that is made should be honored. He deserve it more than any player because he has done very well when it comes to personal achievement.

Great! That makes two of us. I just learned that this opinion is not that popular and that's why Mbappe has some nice odds on sites where you can bet on who wins 2026 Ballon D'or. Someone can place $10 on Mbappé and potentially win $140. Of course, the result is unpredictable, but I think it’s worth trying.

[danadc]

If we consider only the World Cup, Yamal cannot win this award. What kind of performance did Yamal put in at the World Cup to be deemed worthy of the Ballon d'Or?
If England had won the tournament, I would have said Kane would definitely win this award. That is because Kane performed exceptionally well in both the league and the Champions League last year.
Kane was more impactful for the national team than Yamal. Had Tuchel played Kane in the final match, he might even have become the top scorer.
Yamal is not the one who deserves this award; Kane should undoubtedly be the winner.

His points are valid, and I would also agree with what you say. Lamine didn't do much in the World Cup; his team won, but he wasn't fundamental. If they gave it to Kane, I would be happy, but I know that's unlikely to happen. The interests lie elsewhere. I think there are many who want to give the Ballon d'Or to a Spaniard just for the fact that he won the World Cup.

For me, the real fight is between Kane and Mbappé, who were the outstanding players.

[Jaycoinz]

I really want to know why you said everyone knows Kane is going to win the ballon D’or, as for me I believe that Mbappé deserve the ballon d’Or more than any player.
He is the only player that has won the highest goal scorer in the league his playing for, and in the champions league and lastly in the World Cup in the same year or season.
By doing this, he has made history and history that is made should be honored. He deserve it more than any player because he has done very well when it comes to personal achievement.

Great! That makes two of us. I just learned that this opinion is not that popular and that's why Mbappe has some nice odds on sites where you can bet on who wins 2026 Ballon D'or. Someone can place $10 on Mbappé and potentially win $140. Of course, the result is unpredictable, but I think it’s worth trying.

I don't even know ow why we keep pointing out the obvious reason why he can't win to you guys, he won't win unless the whole system will fall odd because the biggest criteria there is team trophy, had been they will looking at goals and assist as the major point, would you think Rodri would have it in his time ?

Another thing I wanted to point out is that, it's like this people wants to put Messi back in the conversation as I just saw earlier today that he had 17 nomination In the Balon d'or, highest of all the players

[KTChampions]

~
Another thing I wanted to point out is that, it's like this people wants to put Messi back in the conversation as I just saw earlier today that he had 17 nomination In the Balon d'or, highest of all the players

Ronaldo has 18 nominations and remains the record-holder in this regard, Messi might catch up next year, though it’s unlikely, given that he has retired from the national team and playing in a Mickey Mouse league isn't exactly a serious endeavor.
It seems Yamal's chances are sinking again - his probability of winning is currently rated at 40%, while the likelihood of him not receiving the award stands at 60%.


https://polymarket.com/event/ballon-dor-winner-2026

This movement from 20% to 60%, when Yamal's chances have sharply increased, looks more and more like blatant manipulation.

[danieldavidd]

The ballon d'or is being given to the player with individual brilliant and winning trophies to his team. 
So for me is Harry Keane.

[Curious T]

Harry Kane's numbers amazingly good for both national team and club side. Personally, I feel like if we use the ways Cristaino Ronaldo and Lionel Messi used to win it in the past, then for this season  it should be Harry Kane winning for his work rate and hardworking as the same time goals for both club and country.

Harry Kane was not even the best player in his league, it was Olise. He was not the best Bayern Munich player of the year. This was voted by the players and staff and it was olise. He was not the best English player of the season. That award went to Bellingham and at the world cup, he was not the clear best English player either. Many believe it was Bellingham, so tell me how we are to believe this player is the best player in the world for last season? Goals alone are not what decides if a player was the best or not. Olise did not score as much goals as kane, but he was regarded as the best player in the league. Football is so much more than just goals, but I don't know why people always seem to get that.

Fabain Ruiz should come next who has previously won a lot of trophies that season and ended up adding the world cup  I think he deserves to be relied upon.

Mentioning Fabian Ruiz to be among the top three best players in the world tells a lot about how you understand the game. So because a player won these trophies, he should automatically win the Balon d'Or, even though he was not among the top three best players in his team or in any of the tournaments. I can even go out of a limb and say he is not among the top five best players in his team or any of the competition he won.

I don't think Lamine Yamal deserves it, he is a great player but asides that, he should come second or third and not the first place holder.

Yamal is the player in Europe right now that can keep you at the edge of your seat. Olise is a close second. Whenever you watch these two players, you expect something when the ball gets to their feet. They generate so much football, and they are very fun to watch. Then when you look at their stats, it's also elite. Yamal edges Olise because he is better at almost everything. He is a better dribbler, passer, presses better, is more involved in the game, and also has better star power to carry a game by himself. Olise is also inconsistent at times, especially when his team is struggling. There was a reason he was taken off when France met Spain in the world cup. He struggles to influence games that his team is struggling in. There is no player who was a better player than Yamal last season.

This debate is simply because Yamal did not have an elite world cup, but he wasn't half as bad as people claim. For his club, he showed up when his team needed him even in the games tehy got knocked out in the Champions league and Copa del rey. I'm convinced people don't watch these two players enough. People just see scorelines and headlines and form opinions from them.

[Charcol]

The ballon d'or is being given to the player with individual brilliant and winning trophies to his team. 
So for me is Harry Keane.

That's right, especially Kane has shown quite extraordinary skills throughout the season. But at the same time, it is also true that in the case of the Ballon d'Or, whether he has won trophies or not, it should not be seen as the biggest thing. Harry Kane has strong and important personal numbers. For example, he played very well in the Bundesliga and won the European Golden Shoe with 36 goals. He also scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern. Bayern also won the league and domestic cup. So, when giving Kane the Ballon d'Or, it is not just about the trophy.

[IceLincoln]

If you are talking based on only the FIFA World cup since it is the biggest tournament this time, then the player that scored the highest goal is Mbappe, he scored 10 goals in the World Cup and also scored 15 goals in the Champions League last season, that means he deserves the award as well because he scored more goals that almost all the contestants, the only reason why some people are not counting on him is because they didn’t go far in the champions league, and France couldn’t make it to the finals of the World Cup this time.
Anything can happen, we can’t decide for the voters, they knows who to vote based on their instinct, only the result will settle this debate of who to win this award.

My understanding is that the World Cup is what we should consider when awarding the player the prize, and even though Spain has had the cup and won it, that doesn't mean the cup should be given to a Spaniard for that reason. Because for me, the Ballon d'Or is for the most complete player who has performed well in all competitions, and if he stood out more in the World Cup, then logic points to Mbappe. But now, since everything is biased or random, they'll give the trophy to Lamine or Rodri, they might even give it to Messi.

If we consider only the World Cup, Yamal cannot win this award. What kind of performance did Yamal put in at the World Cup to be deemed worthy of the Ballon d'Or?
If England had won the tournament, I would have said Kane would definitely win this award. That is because Kane performed exceptionally well in both the league and the Champions League last year.
Kane was more impactful for the national team than Yamal. Had Tuchel played Kane in the final match, he might even have become the top scorer.
Yamal is not the one who deserves this award; Kane should undoubtedly be the winner.

What kind of statements are you making…..
Is it a what if Contest?
If I may ask you, what kind of World Cup did Rodri have truly? What kind of World Cup did Mikel Oyarzabal have?
All of you who keep talking about Lamine Yamal and his World Cup performance as if he flopped or wasn’t performing. Goals and assists isn’t the only thing to measure a player, have you forgotten even Luka Modric an attacking midfielder won the Ballon D’or with just four goals.
Quit the nonsense talk about Yamal

[Rgram]

The ballon d'or is being given to the player with individual brilliant and winning trophies to his team.  
So for me is Harry Keane.

That's right, especially Kane has shown quite extraordinary skills throughout the season. But at the same time, it is also true that in the case of the Ballon d'Or, whether he has won trophies or not, it should not be seen as the biggest thing. Harry Kane has strong and important personal numbers. For example, he played very well in the Bundesliga and won the European Golden Shoe with 36 goals. He also scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern. Bayern also won the league and domestic cup. So, when giving Kane the Ballon d'Or, it is not just about the trophy.

Kane is likely not going to get it. He hasn’t done much seriously, except for the Bundesliga. When we hoped to see much from them in the champions league, they couldn’t make the cut and eventually got kicked out by PSG. That’s where we should be looking for the award. He did a little in the nations league but, not enough to be considered for the next Ballon D’or trophy, Mbappe would do just fine with it and even Dembele, it’s got to be in Spain or France.

[Rockstarguy]

The ballon d'or is being given to the player with individual brilliant and winning trophies to his team. 
So for me is Harry Keane.

That's right, especially Kane has shown quite extraordinary skills throughout the season. But at the same time, it is also true that in the case of the Ballon d'Or, whether he has won trophies or not, it should not be seen as the biggest thing. Harry Kane has strong and important personal numbers. For example, he played very well in the Bundesliga and won the European Golden Shoe with 36 goals. He also scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern. Bayern also won the league and domestic cup. So, when giving Kane the Ballon d'Or, it is not just about the trophy.

The main criteria for players to win the Ballon d'Or are the individual performance of the player and the achievements a player has contributed to his team. If we consider the personal performance of Harry Kane and the number of goals he has scored, I think this qualifies him to win the Ballon d'Or.

We should also consider the achievements he has contributed to his team. From my own judgment, I believe he qualifies to win the Ballon d'Or, but there are also players like Lamine Yamal. Ultimately, the organizers know best who will be the winner of the Ballon d'Or.

[Muba20]

If we consider only the World Cup, Yamal cannot win this award. What kind of performance did Yamal put in at the World Cup to be deemed worthy of the Ballon d'Or?
If England had won the tournament, I would have said Kane would definitely win this award. That is because Kane performed exceptionally well in both the league and the Champions League last year.
Kane was more impactful for the national team than Yamal. Had Tuchel played Kane in the final match, he might even have become the top scorer.
Yamal is not the one who deserves this award; Kane should undoubtedly be the winner.

His points are valid, and I would also agree with what you say. Lamine didn't do much in the World Cup; his team won, but he wasn't fundamental. If they gave it to Kane, I would be happy, but I know that's unlikely to happen. The interests lie elsewhere. I think there are many who want to give the Ballon d'Or to a Spaniard just for the fact that he won the World Cup.

For me, the real fight is between Kane and Mbappé, who were the outstanding players.

The vote is over but we will have to wait for a few more days for the results. But the predictions for the general public are still adding various thoughts. Some people think that Harry Kane is ahead in this competition, while others will keep Lamine Yamal or Mbappe ahead. However, only when the results are published will it be understood on what basis this year's Ballon d'Or is being given. Harry Kane is being keep ahead in the discussion here because his individual success and team performance are comparatively higher than the other two. Harry Kane's 73 goals in 65 matches, three titles for Bayern and England's semi-final in the World Cup will definitely keep him ahead, on the other hand, Mbappe has scored 10 goals in the World Cup and has also performed well for the club. If he could not win any major title for the team, but his Golden Boot in the World Cup will keep him ahead a little. According to a betting odds yesterday, Yamal has been keep ahead after Kane. I'm still confused about who will win the Ballon d'Or.

[New Judgement]

The ballon d'or is being given to the player with individual brilliant and winning trophies to his team. 
So for me is Harry Keane.

How about the aspect of winning trophies for your country too? We have players nominated for the award that won trophies for their country and also won trophies for their clubs. Harry Kane and other players nominated stood out in the aspect of individual performance, and winning trophies for their clubs. Kylian Mbappe is the only major contender that didn’t win anything for his club and country. I will be satisfied if Harry Kane win the award, but I don’t see it happening.

[Loyang]

If we consider only the World Cup, Yamal cannot win this award. What kind of performance did Yamal put in at the World Cup to be deemed worthy of the Ballon d'Or?
If England had won the tournament, I would have said Kane would definitely win this award. That is because Kane performed exceptionally well in both the league and the Champions League last year.
Kane was more impactful for the national team than Yamal. Had Tuchel played Kane in the final match, he might even have become the top scorer.
Yamal is not the one who deserves this award; Kane should undoubtedly be the winner.

His points are valid, and I would also agree with what you say. Lamine didn't do much in the World Cup; his team won, but he wasn't fundamental. If they gave it to Kane, I would be happy, but I know that's unlikely to happen. The interests lie elsewhere. I think there are many who want to give the Ballon d'Or to a Spaniard just for the fact that he won the World Cup.

For me, the real fight is between Kane and Mbappé, who were the outstanding players.

The vote is over but we will have to wait for a few more days for the results. But the predictions for the general public are still adding various thoughts. Some people think that Harry Kane is ahead in this competition, while others will keep Lamine Yamal or Mbappe ahead. However, only when the results are published will it be understood on what basis this year's Ballon d'Or is being given. Harry Kane is being keep ahead in the discussion here because his individual success and team performance are comparatively higher than the other two. Harry Kane's 73 goals in 65 matches, three titles for Bayern and England's semi-final in the World Cup will definitely keep him ahead, on the other hand, Mbappe has scored 10 goals in the World Cup and has also performed well for the club. If he could not win any major title for the team, but his Golden Boot in the World Cup will keep him ahead a little. According to a betting odds yesterday, Yamal has been keep ahead after Kane. I'm still confused about who will win the Ballon d'Or.

We will probably see one of these two players win, Kane and Yamal. I would never put Mbappe in the running for the Ballon d'Or. Because he hasn't had any major success this season and he has done well for the team, but Kane and Yamal haven't done anything better. I would prefer to put Messi after Kane and Yamal. Because Messi has played very well for the team and he has also performed very well at the club and he has led the team very well. But I think we can expect to see Kane win this season.

[Smartprofit]

I think we all need to accept this... Modern football no longer has players of the caliber of Ronaldo and Messi.🙋

Modern football is a systematic game of teams against each other, not a game of superstar players. The days of the Iliad are over... Achilles will no longer take to the battlefield to make everyone doubt his humanity (because a human can't fight like that)! Only a demigod can fight like that!

That's why there's such a heated debate about who exactly will win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The problem is, we all don't have a clear favorite! Intuitively, we understand that each of the contenders falls short of this award, and it's difficult for us to even formulate definitive criteria for choosing a winner.

I think the winner will be the player favored by the media. It seems like it's Yamal... Although, in my opinion, Rodri or Kane are just as deserving of the Ballon d'Or as Yamal.🧖

[MainIbem]

...

We will probably see one of these two players win, Kane and Yamal. I would never put Mbappe in the running for the Ballon d'Or. Because he hasn't had any major success this season and he has done well for the team, but Kane and Yamal haven't done anything better. I would prefer to put Messi after Kane and Yamal. Because Messi has played very well for the team and he has also performed very well at the club and he has led the team very well. But I think we can expect to see Kane win this season.

Although I'm in support of Harry Kane winning the title but if not him then Yamal, those are the players that deserve it most based on their  performance last season, Mbappé has a good individual record but lacks trophies to back it up and that's the advantage players like Harry Kane and Yamal has over him. I think voters would favour Yamal more cause he's a youngster with lots of talent and won the World Cup which makes him fans favourite.