Top 16 Ballon d’Or contenders after 2026 World Cup
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The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has intensified following Spain’s FIFA World Cup triumph, with England captain Harry Kane emerging as the bookmakers’ favourite to win football’s most prestigious individual award.
According to odds published by Independent UK, citing Betfair, on Tuesday, Kane leads the contenders ahead of Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
Kane strengthened his credentials after finishing the World Cup with six goals and becoming England’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament.
The performance added to his already staggering 2025–2026 campaign, where he scored 72 goals and provided 7 assists in 61 appearances for Bayern Munich and England.
Kane won three trophies with Bayern Munich, finished third at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and claimed the European Golden Shoe.
Spain’s World Cup-winning duo of Yamal and Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, also rank among the leading contenders after helping their country lift the trophy.
Yamal was instrumental in Spain’s triumph at the 2026 World Cup.
Messi remains firmly in the race after leading the Albiceleste to a second consecutive World Cup final, despite missing out on FIFA’s Golden Ball award to Rodri.
At 39, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner recorded 8 goals and 4 assists before also missing out on the Golden Boot to France star Kylian Mbappe by two goals.
Mbappé once again proved his elite status. In a prolific 2025–2026 campaign for Real Madrid, he became La Liga and Champions League top scorer.
He is also the 2026 World Cup top scorer and became the all-time leading scorer with 22 goals
Manchester City and Norway striker, Erling Haaland, also enjoyed another prolific season, scoring 27 Premier League goals and eight in the UEFA Champions League.
He carried that form into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring seven goals in five games to inspire Norway to a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance.
France’s Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise and England midfielder Jude Bellingham are also among the favourites.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
Top 16 Ballon d’Or favourites (Betfair odds):
- Harry Kane – 13/8
- Lamine Yamal – 9/4
- Lionel Messi – 11/4
- Kylian Mbappe – 7/2
- Rodri – 9/2
- Ousmane Dembele – 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
- Fabian Ruiz – 33/1
- Vinicius Jr. – 40/1
- Bruno Fernandes – 50/1
- Desire Doue – 50/1
