By Gloria Drealomalicha
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now concluded, attention across the football world has shifted to the race for the Ballon d’Or, the sport’s most coveted individual award. Several players enhanced their credentials with outstanding performances for club and country over the past season, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most closely contested editions of the prestigious prize.
England captain Harry Kane has emerged as the early favourite after producing arguably the finest campaign of his career. According to the latest Betfair odds published by The Independent, the Bayern Munich striker leads the pack ahead of Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Argentina legend Lionel Messi and France captain Kylian Mbappé.
Kane’s consistency throughout the 2025/26 season has made him the player to beat. The 33-year-old scored an astonishing 72 goals and provided seven assists in 61 appearances for Bayern Munich and England. He also helped Bayern win three trophies, claimed the European Golden Shoe and finished the World Cup with six goals, becoming England’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament.
Close behind him is Spain’s Lamine Yamal, whose dazzling displays on football’s biggest stage have further cemented his status as one of the game’s brightest young stars. The teenager played a pivotal role in Spain’s successful World Cup campaign, combining creativity, composure and maturity well beyond his years.
His Spain teammate Rodri is also firmly in the conversation after another exceptional season. The midfielder, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, once again proved his importance by orchestrating Spain’s midfield as they lifted the World Cup trophy.
Despite Argentina’s defeat in the World Cup final, Lionel Messi has maintained his place among the leading contenders. At 39, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continued to defy expectations, scoring eight goals and providing four assists as he inspired Argentina to a second successive World Cup final. Although he narrowly missed out on both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot, his influence throughout the tournament has kept him firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
Kylian Mbappé also enjoyed another remarkable campaign. The Real Madrid forward finished as the top scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League before winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup. In doing so, he became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, further strengthening his credentials for football’s biggest individual honour.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is another player who cannot be overlooked. The Norwegian striker scored 27 Premier League goals and added eight more in the Champions League before taking his goalscoring exploits to the World Cup, where his seven goals helped Norway reach the quarter-finals for the first time in the nation’s history.
Elsewhere, France duo Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise remain in contention after impressive campaigns, while England midfielder Jude Bellingham continues to attract support following another influential season at the highest level.
With the Ballon d’Or ceremony set to take place in London on 26 October, the debate over who deserves football’s greatest individual honour is expected to intensify. While Kane currently leads the bookmakers’ predictions, the performances of Yamal, Messi, Mbappé, Rodri and Haaland ensure the race remains wide open.
Current Ballon d’Or favourites (Betfair odds):
Harry Kane – 13/8
Lamine Yamal – 9/4
Lionel Messi – 11/4
Kylian Mbappé – 7/2
Rodri – 9/2
Ousmane Dembélé – 14/1
Jude Bellingham – 14/1
Michael Olise – 20/1
Erling Haaland – 22/1
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 28/1
Declan Rice – 28/1
Vitinha – 28/1
Fabián Ruiz – 33/1
Vinícius Júnior – 40/1
Bruno Fernandes – 50/1
Désiré Doué – 50/1
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