The Ballon d’Or winner will be announced in London on October 26, and BBC Sport’s pundits are split over who should lift football’s most famous individual prize. Bookmakers have Spain winger Lamine Yamal and England captain Harry Kane neck and neck as the clear favourites.
Lamine Yamal (Credits: BBC Sport)
Ballon d’Or 2026: Yamal vs Kane Leads the Race
Yamal’s case rests on a remarkable year: he won La Liga with Barcelona and lifted the World Cup with Spain. Kane, meanwhile, scored 73 goals for German champions Bayern Munich and England, a scoring return his supporters call sensational. Eight-time winner Lionel Messi, now with Inter Miami, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe are the other probable contenders, while Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back European champions also have a strong claim.
European football expert Guillem Balague believes the winner has to come from PSG or Spain. With PSG’s votes likely split between several deserving players, he argues there is only one Spaniard who truly deserves it: Lamine Yamal, for his individual performances, his collective trophies, and his aura.
BBC Pundits Split Over Kvaratskhelia and Kane
Not everyone agrees. European expert Julien Laurens picked PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, calling him the best player in Europe last season, especially in the Champions League, where he scored in the final, both semi-finals, the quarter-final, and the last 16. Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock also named Kvaratskhelia as his personal pick, though he doubts the votes will follow with Georgia absent from the World Cup.
Others backed Kane. Former England striker Alan Shearer said Kane’s numbers over the last 12 to 18 months for Bayern and England have been absolutely sensational, while ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy also chose Kane. Athletic reporter Rory Smith expects Yamal to win because the award usually goes to a winner of the biggest trophy, but personally he would give it to Kvaratskhelia, arguing a player should not suffer for coming from a country not in World Cup contention.
With Yamal, Kane, Kvaratskhelia, and PSG’s champions all in the mix, Monday night’s announcement in London promises a genuinely open race.
Also Read: Ballon d’Or 2026 Campaigns: Yamal the Favourite, Mbappe the Lobbyist, and a Record 10 PSG Nominees | Is 2026 Harry Kane’s Year? BBC Pundits Debate England Captain’s Phenomenal Ballon d’Or Case
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.