B/R Ranks Harry Kane 1-5 Favorite for 2026 Ballon d'Or Ahead of Monday Reveal

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Oct 23

Harry Kane tops B/R’s final 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or rankings, with 1-5 odds before Monday’s ceremony in London and a chance to become the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
52 goal contributions in 2026, including 41 goals in top-five European leagues, underpin Kane’s case, along with Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles and deep World Cup and Champions League runs.
Lamine Yamal sits second at 7-4 after leading Barcelona to La Liga and helping Spain win the World Cup, though his modest tournament return of one goal and one assist hurt his claim.
Kylian Mbappe is third at 8-1 despite Golden Boots in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, while Lionel Messi is fourth at 14-1 after 12 World Cup goal contributions in a likely final bid.
The latest rankings reflect a wide-open race: Ousmane Dembele, Jude Bellingham and Michael Olise have faded from serious contention, while Rodri and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia remain longer-shot options at 40-1.