Voting closes for 2026 Ballon d'Or; race wide open

Voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or closed on September 28, with the winner to be revealed on October 26 at the London Palladium Theatre. The race is considered one of the most open in years, with no single standout candidate. Source: Clarín; La Vanguardia; El Español

The favorites

The main contenders are Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappé, each with a distinct case. Kane, the 'tapado', scored 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern Munich and England, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup. Source: El Mundo (ES) Lamine Yamal, a World Cup winner with Spain, dazzled with his unique talent and decisive goals. Source: El Mundo (ES); El Español Mbappé was the top scorer in La Liga (25 goals), the Champions League (15), and the World Cup (10), but won no team trophies. Source: El Español

Other candidates include Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to the World Cup final at age 39, and PSG's Champions League winners like Fabián Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Source: Clarín; La Vanguardia Former player Luis Figo named Mbappé, Yamal, Rodri, and Messi as his favorites. Source: Infobae

Security and campaigning

To prevent leaks, only two people — Vincent Garcia of France Football and producer Marc Las — will know the result before the ceremony. Source: Infobae The voting period saw an unusual public campaign by players, with Mbappé and Yamal openly stating they deserve the award, while Kane remained more reserved. Source: El Mundo (ES); ABC.es Santi Cañizares argued that Kane and Fabián Ruiz are superior candidates to Yamal and Mbappé based on full-season performance. Source: El Español