Who will win Ballon d’Or 2026? Shortlist, favourites, latest odds, date and past winners

Who will win Ballon d’Or 2026? Shortlist, favourites, latest odds, date and past winners Make us your Google favourite The Ballon d’Or is by far the most prestigious individual award in world football and virtually every top player aspires to win it one day. The prize is awarded to the one player who is deemed to have been the best in the world over the course of a single domestic season, and the 2025 award was won by Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. The France international fought off competition from Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal and team-mate Vitinha to claim the trophy for the first time in his career. The Ballon d’Or began all the way back in 1956, with England’s Stanley Matthews the inaugural winner. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award since 2008, but their era at the very top level is now over. With his victory in 2025, Dembele became just the fourth player other than Messi or Ronaldo to have won the Ballon d’Or since 2007 - with Luka Modric (2018), Karim Benzema (2022) and Rodri (2024) the only other players. Here at sources, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony. What is the shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or? The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or was released on 8 September 2026. PlayerClubCountryJude BellinghamReal MadridEnglandMarc CucurellaReal MadridSpainKylian MbappeReal MadridFranceVinicius JrReal MadridBrazilPau CubarsiBarcelonaSpainLamine YamalBarcelonaSpainRodriBarcelonaSpainOusmane DembelePSGFranceAchraf HakimiPSGMoroccoKhvicha KvaratskheliaPSGGeorgiaMarquinhosPSGBrazilNuno MendesPSGPortugalJoao NevesPSGPortugalWillian PachoPSGEcuadorFabian RuizPSGSpainFerran TorresPSGSpainVitinhaPSGPortugalLuis DiazBayern MunichColombiaHarry KaneBayern MunichEnglandMichael OliseBayern MunichFranceDayot UpamecanoBayern MunichFranceBruno FernandesMan UtdPortugalGabriel MagalhaesArsenalBrazilDeclan RiceArsenalEnglandWilliam SalibaArsenalFranceErling HaalandMan CityNorwaySadio ManeAl-NassrSenegalLautaro MartinezInterArgentinaLionel MessiInter MiamiArgentinaJulian QuinonesAl-QadsiahMexico Who is the favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or? Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is currently the favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d'or following an immense season for the club and country, in which he scored 73 goals in just 65 games. Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Rodri are also strong candidates after firing Spain to World Cup glory over the summer. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe is also a contender and he believes that he deserves the award. "There are many people that speak about me and the Ballon d'Or. Of course I've made history in the most important competition. Maybe it's a good year for this but people can vote according to what they think," he told reporters. "I always think I'm the best [player in the world] but everyone has their own opinion. Maybe people think different ways. I don't think it's a discussion we need to have. "Of course this year could be good for me to win the Ballon d'Or. But journalists vote." The likes of Declan Rice, Pau Cubarsi, Erling Haaland and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are regarded as outsiders in the race for glory. When does the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony take place? The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on 26 October. Where will the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony be held? The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London to commemorate 70 years since England's Stanley Matthews won the inaugural award. The Theatre du Chatelet in Paris hosted the Ballon d'Or ceremony in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Who will present the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony? The official hosts of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony have not yet been announced. In 2025, Kate Scott and former Chelsea and Netherlands star Ruud Gullit presented the ceremony. Past winners of the Ballon d’Or YearWinner1956Stanley Matthews (England)1957Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)1958Raymond Kopa (France)1959Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)1960Luis Suarez (Spain)1961Omar Sivori (Italy)1962Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)1963Lev Yashin (USSR)1964Denis Law (Scotland)1965Eusebio (Portugal)1966Bobby Charlton (England)1967Florian Albert (Hungary)1968George Best (Northern Ireland)1969Gianni Rivera (Italy)1970Gerd Muller (Germany)1971Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)1972Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)1973Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)1974Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)1975Oleg Blokhin (USSR)1976Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)1977Allan Simonsen (Denmar