Yamal, Kane, and Mbappé lead heated three-way race ahead of 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony

The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has reached a climax ahead of Monday’s gala at the London Palladium, as reported by Al Jazeera.​

Data firm Avisia picks 19-year-old Lamine Yamal as the favorite with a 23 percent probability, closely followed by Harry Kane (21%) and Kylian Mbappé (19%). However, bookmakers favour Kane with a 70 percent probability.

​Opinions among players and managers remain split. Endorsing Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone remarked:​ “After the World Cup, he played at his age… No doubt about it.”​

Marco Materazzi concurred, noting:​ “With all due respect to Yamal, I think Messi showed, at 38 years old, he’s in a different league.”

​Backing Kane, Jude Bellingham stated:​ “He works so hard for it, and he’s a very honest and hard-working person.”​ When asked if Kane could win, he added:​ “It’s definitely possible.” ​Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon championed Yamal:​

“What Lamine has achieved at such a young age… the kind of player he is, is ridiculous. He’s on a whole other level.”