Ballon d’Or 2026: Ranking the Favorites to Win, Latest Odds
Tonight, the London Palladium will welcome the biggest names in world soccer for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Unlike in previous years, when the winner often seemed all but decided before the event, this race feels far more open. While it may ultimately come down to three leading contenders, several superstars have built compelling cases, combining major silverware—including the Champions League and World Cup—with outstanding individual performances.
Here are the leading favourites heading into tonight’s ceremony.
Confirmed Shortlists
• Ballon d'Or Nominees (Men’s and Women's)
• Kopa Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s
• Yashin Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year)
• Club of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s
• Coach of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)
The Favorites to Win the 2026 Ballon d’Or
10. Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
You might think it is a stretch to suggest Fabián Ruiz is a genuine Ballon d’Or contender—but there is a strong case to be made.
After all, he is the only player in the world this year to win both the Champions League and the World Cup, after triumphing with Paris Saint-Germain and Spain.
And Ruiz was far from a passenger in either success.
At PSG, he played a key role in the club’s Ligue 1 title despite battling injuries throughout the season, before becoming an unexpected starter in the Champions League final against Arsenal. His composure in possession, range of passing and tactical intelligence helped PSG control the midfield battle and limit the Gunners’ threat.
For Spain, Ruiz featured throughout the World Cup campaign, starting the final victory over Argentina and delivering one of the tournament’s biggest moments by scoring the crucial opening goal in La Roja’s hard-fought quarterfinal win over Belgium.
A long shot? Perhaps. But Ruiz’s trophy haul and influence on two historic title runs make him impossible to ignore.
9. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or after a sensational campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, where he emerged as the driving force behind the club’s first-ever Champions League triumph, scoring 35 goals across all competitions.
In 2025–26, as PSG successfully defended both its Ligue 1 and Champions League titles, Dembélé once again delivered on the biggest stages. He scored 20 goals, including crucial strikes in the Champions League knockout rounds—two against Liverpool in the quarterfinals, a brace against Bayern Munich in the semifinals and PSG’s only goal in the final against Arsenal.
Those performances further strengthened his reputation as PSG’s ultimate big-game player.
He also contributed six goals for France at the World Cup, an impressive return considering he spent much of the tournament operating out wide rather than in his preferred central role.
8. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
Michael Olise finished as the 2026 World Cup’s leading assist provider with seven, with his trademark curling deliveries and perfectly weighted passes proving almost impossible for opponents to contain.
He may have been frustrated not to find the net more often in North America, but he had already done plenty of damage at club level. During the 2025–26 season with Bayern Munich, Olise scored 22 goals as the Bavarians swept to the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles.
And that was only half the story. He also produced an astonishing 31 assists—more than any player in world soccer across the campaign—and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season.
• Quiz: Name Every Winner of the Ballon d’Or—It’s Harder Than You Think
7. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia)
Georgia’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup may hurt Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Ballon d’Or case, but it shouldn’t.
The PSG winger enjoyed a spectacular 2025–26 season, scoring 19 goals and providing 11 assists as the club secured another league title and a second consecutive Champions League crown.
He was particularly devastating in Europe, scoring 10 Champions League goals, including against Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, before providing a crucial assist in the final against Arsenal.
Kvaratskhelia has proved he thrives on the biggest stage—it’s just a shame he couldn’t show it at the World Cup.
6. Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Norway was, as Sports Illustrated predicted, the surprise—or perhaps not so surprising—package of the 2026 World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals in its first appearance at the tournament since 1998.
While the Vikings were far from a one-man team, there is no denying Erling Haaland was the driving force behind the historic run. The Norwegian superstar turned the world’s biggest stage into his own personal showcase, overpowering some of the best defenders on the planet and scoring seven goals, including both strikes in Norway’s famous 2–1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16.
His club form was just as relentless in 2025–26.
Despite Manchester City falling short in the Premier League, Haaland remained one of the most prolific forwards in the game, scoring 38 goals across all competitions and claiming his third Golden Boot in four years.
5. Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Could history be about to repeat itself?
In 2024, Rodri won the Ballon d’Or after starring in Spain’s Euro triumph. A devastating injury then derailed his momentum, but at the 2026 World Cup, he reminded everyone why he was once considered the best player on the planet.
Rodri was once again the heartbeat of Spain’s success, dictating the tempo and shielding the defense. La Roja conceded just one goal throughout the tournament, a record low for a World Cup winner, while Rodri took home the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player.
Now at Barcelona, another Ballon d’Or would be hard for even his biggest critics to dispute.
4. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Argentina ultimately fell short in its attempt to retain the World Cup title, but Lionel Messi can hardly shoulder the blame. Aside from a small argument that he faded in the final, the veteran superstar once again showed why he remains one of the greatest players on the planet.
Messi delivered another remarkable tournament, scoring eight goals and providing four assists, including the crucial cross that set up Argentina’s late winner against England in the semifinals.
His club form was just as impressive. In 2025, Messi continued to turn back the clock, scoring 43 goals as Inter Miami lifted their first-ever MLS Cup.
3. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Lamine Yamal’s World Cup numbers may look underwhelming at first glance, with just one goal and one assist during Spain’s title-winning campaign. But statistics only tell part of the story. Watching him, it was clear the teenager was fearless against the best defenders in the world, repeatedly producing dazzling dribbles, perfectly weighted passes and even making a significant impact defensively.
Those qualities were on display throughout the season with Barcelona as well, where Yamal helped the club secure back-to-back La Liga titles. This time, the numbers backed up the performances too, with the winger producing a remarkable 24 goals and 18 assists across all competitions while continuing to establish himself as the biggest attacking threat at Camp Nou since Lionel Messi.
Messi was 22 years old when he won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009. Yamal, still only 19, has already put himself in a position to follow—and perhaps even surpass—the legacy of his idol.
2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
Kylian Mbappé made history at the 2026 World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals—a tally that made him the competition’s all-time leading marksman with 22 goals in just 22 appearances.
Add in his 42 goals for Real Madrid during the 2025–26 season, and it becomes clear why he remains one of the most feared forwards in world soccer.
The only thing missing was silverware. With Madrid ending the season trophyless and France finishing fourth at the World Cup, his lack of major titles could once again hurt his Ballon d’Or chances despite his outstanding individual numbers.
1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
No player in world soccer scored more club goals during the 2025–26 season than Harry Kane, who struck a staggering 61 times for Bayern Munich as the Bavarians once again dominated German soccer, cruising to Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal glory.
Had England gone on to win the World Cup—as many expected before the tournament—Kane would have been a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or.
Though the Three Lions didn’t win it, his six goals on the way to the semifinals appear to have been enough to keep the Englishman as the clear favourite to win the award.
Ballon d’Or 2026 Odds
Here are the latest odds for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, showing who the bookmakers currently consider the leading contenders.
Rank | Player | Club/Nation | 2026 Ballon d'Or Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich, England | -286 |
2. | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid, France | +200 |
3. | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona, Spain | +450 |
4. | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami, Argentina | +4,000 |
5. | Rodri | Barcelona, Spain | +4,000 |
6. | Erling Haaland | Manchester City, Norway | +10,000 |
7. | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia | +10,000 |
8. | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich, France | +10,000 |
9. | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain, France | +10,000 |
10. | Fabian Ruiz | Paris Saint-Germain, Spain | +10,000 |
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