Ballon d'Or 2026: Date, Time, Nominees and Top Contenders

An awards ceremony held shortly after a major international competition often attracts added interest, especially when that event is the World Cup.

This timing allows voters to consider each nominee’s international displays when deciding their rankings for the men’s award.

Spain’s triumph at the 2026 World Cup may strengthen the prospects of the six Spanish players included among the nominees.

However, exceptional contributions at both club and international level could also put Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland among the leading contenders, even though they did not win an international trophy.

Harry Kane

England skipper Kane recorded 73 goals for club and country during the 2025-26 campaign. Although voters are instructed to judge only the latest season, his remarkable tally of 156 goals in 158 Bayern Munich appearances since 2023 has taken him to seventh place on the German side’s all-time scoring chart. He has finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer in three successive seasons and was also Europe’s most prolific club player in 2025-26.

Kane also captained England to their strongest World Cup result since lifting the trophy in 1966. His team secured the bronze medal by winning the third-place play-off, while Kane ended the competition as its fifth-highest scorer.

Lamine Yamal

The young forward has already collected the men’s Kopa Trophy, awarded to the finest player under 21, in both 2024 and 2025. After finishing second in the senior standings in 2025, he is again nominated for both the main honour and the under-21 prize. Despite missing several fixtures because of injury, the 19-year-old played an important role in Spain’s World Cup success and Barcelona’s victories in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.

Yamal contributed 24 goals and 18 assists in all competitions for Barcelona. Eight of those goals came in the Champions League, making him the tournament’s most prolific player under the age of 19, ahead of Mbappe.

Kylian Mbappe

France failed to reach the World Cup final and were then beaten 6-4 by England in the third-place play-off. Nevertheless, captain Mbappe claimed the Golden Boot with 10 goals and became the competition’s leading scorer of all time.

Real Madrid ended the season without a trophy, but Mbappe still delivered an impressive return of 42 goals from 44 appearances across all club competitions in 2025-26.

Lionel Messi

Messi may no longer enjoy the overwhelming Ballon d’Or dominance of his peak years, but he remains a strong candidate for a high position after leading Argentina to the World Cup final and a runners-up finish.

He scored eight times during the tournament, placing second behind Mbappe in the scoring table. The two players also shared first place for assists after creating four goals apiece.

Messi has also registered 29 goals in 32 matches for Inter Miami, helping the club occupy second place in the 2026 season, which runs from February through December. Those figures mean his individual form and club contribution continue to support his case.

Rodri

Injuries have disrupted both seasons since Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or. An anterior cruciate ligament tear during the 2024-25 campaign kept him out of Manchester City’s side for 220 days, while further knee trouble sidelined him for several months in 2025-26. As a result, the Spain captain has played considerably less football than most of the other nominees.

Even so, captaining a team to World Cup glory may carry significant influence with voters, and Rodri was also selected as the tournament’s outstanding player. Those achievements may not be sufficient to earn him the main award, but they still represent a successful year.

Erling Haaland

Manchester City’s leading striker helped Norway reach unprecedented heights by scoring seven goals as his nation advanced to its first World Cup quarter-final. That total left him joint-third in the tournament’s scoring standings.

Haaland also led the Premier League scoring chart in 2025-26 with 27 goals and finished the campaign with 38 strikes across all club competitions. During the season, he became the quickest player to score 50 Champions League goals, reaching that milestone in only 49 appearances.

Complete list of nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or: