Harry Kane is the man to beat for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, no doubt about it. The Bayern Munich striker, who racked up a staggering 73 goals last season for club and country, is the favorite on the 30-player shortlist. That’s a ridiculous number, and it makes him the player everyone’s watching as the big award approaches.
England’s Finest and Messi’s Last Dance?
But it ain’t just Kane repping England. Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid and Declan Rice from Arsenal are right there with him on the shortlist, showing the world England’s got some serious talent. And get this: Lionel Messi, the guy chasing his ninth Ballon d’Or, is on the list too. The 39-year-old put up eight goals for Argentina in the World Cup final against Spain back in July, even though they lost. He retired from international play after that, can you believe it? What a way to go out, still competing at the absolute top.
PSG’s Player Factory and World Cup Heroes
But let’s talk about absolute domination. Paris St-Germain? Those back-to-back Champions League winners have NINE players nominated, not even counting new signing Ferran Torres! Torres himself is a legend, scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final after joining PSG from Barcelona this summer. You’ve also got last year’s winner Ousmane Dembele on the list from PSG, which just shows how much talent they’re hoarding. Six of Spain’s World Cup winners made the cut, including Lamine Yamal, who is also nominated for the men’s young talent of the year. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, plus Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba, are all in the mix too. Mbappe’s even saying, “This could be year I win Ballon d’Or,” and after seeing his teammate Vinicius Jr also nominated, you know that Real Madrid attack is stacked. And don’t forget the goalies either: Cape Verde’s Vozinha, whose World Cup heroics were a highlight, is up for goalkeeper of the year alongside Arsenal’s David Raya.
This whole thing is celebrating its 70th anniversary, a nod to history since France Football created it back in 1956. The winner gets crowned in London on October 26, a symbolic choice of venue as a tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the first ever Ballon d’Or winner. Who’s gonna lift it? We gotta wait and see!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
Leave a Reply