Who should win the Ballon d'Or 2026? Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise backed for glory

Ballon d'Or time is yet upon us, and successful conscionable a fewer hours time, fans crossed the globe volition cognize conscionable who the champion footballer successful the satellite is - astatine slightest according to the esteemed France Football panel.

To observe the 70th day of Sir Stanley Matthews winning the inaugural accolade, the 2026 Ballon d'Or has been moved from its accustomed location of Paris to the English superior of London, and 1 of the Three Lions' ain could fittingly waltz up to the signifier to execute his winner's speech.

Indeed, Bayern Munich marksman Harry Kane is the bookies' favourite to beryllium crowned England's archetypal Ballon dOr victor since a fledgling Michael Owen successful 2001, but if immoderate of america had our way, helium would miss retired connected this idiosyncratic honour.

Here, the Sports Mole squad selects who they deliberation should beryllium crowned the victor of the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator - Harry Kane

Not since Lionel Messi's 2019 triumph has the Ballon d'Or been awarded to a subordinate who failed to triumph immoderate of the World Cup, Euros, Copa America oregon Champions League, but I americium afloat expecting that streak to beryllium snapped this clip around.

While not rather matching Lionel Messi's astronomical 91 goals from the 2012 calendar year, Harry Kane racked up an outrageous 73 for nine and state successful the 2025-26 campaign, 61 of which came successful Bayern colours.

Taking location a 2nd European Golden Shoe and becoming the archetypal English subordinate successful 98 years to deed a 60+ extremity play - emulating the iconic Dixie Dean - Kane reaffirmed his presumption arsenic the champion goalscorer connected the planet, adjacent if his World Cup numbers did not suggest to.

Bayern's UCL failure, England's World Cup disappointment and Kane lone finishing joint-fourth successful the Mundial scoring charts volition each enactment against him, but truthful volition Lamine Yamal's underwhelming idiosyncratic World Cup run and Kylian Mbappe's Champions League and La Liga-less season.

The World Cup has not travel location for England successful the 21st century, but the Ballon d'Or surely volition for the person of the Three Lions.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Harry Kane

After much than a decennary watching Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo predominate the shot grant landscape, the contention for the Ballon d’Or has opened up successful caller years and determination is nary undisputed frontrunner for the coveted 2026 prize.

However, Harry Kane stands retired up of players including Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe arsenic idiosyncratic who deserves designation for his singular power arsenic Bayern Munich and England’s talisman.

While winning a World Cup oregon Champions League carries a batch of value successful the Ballon d’Or votes, I deliberation the power a subordinate tin person connected a squad should besides be recognised for this prestigious accolade, and with idiosyncratic similar Kane, you conscionable wonderment whether Bayern and England would person been truthful palmy without him and his goals? Probably not.

At 33 years of age, Kane is astatine the highest of his powers, scoring a whopping 54 goals for nine and state this calendar year, helping Bayern triumph back-to-back Bundesliga titles and inspiring England to the World Cup semi-finals.

His leadership, match-winning reliability, footballing quality and ridiculously objective goalscoring grounds astatine the highest level makes him a deserving victor – perchance the archetypal Englishman since Michael Owen successful 2001 to assertion the aureate trophy.

Joel Lefevre, Reporter - Michael Olise

As awesome arsenic Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal each were for nine and country, I deliberation Michael Olise should triumph the Ballon d’Or. He stepped up successful astir each game, large oregon small, for Bayern Munich and France and was rarely, if ever, unopen down. Not lone did helium person a record-setting World Cup run for assists, but helium was the catalyst for his team’s success, conscionable arsenic helium was successful Bayern’s marvellous campaigns successful Europe and domestically. 

I consciousness the fig of goals you people often matters much than creativity successful voting, but the trouble of galore of Olise’s passes to Kane and Mbappe was often bonzer and should beryllium taken into consideration. You tin reasonably reason that neither of those players would person been arsenic potent successful beforehand of extremity without Olise’s hard enactment successful providing them with the cleanable work and placing the shot successful the perfect presumption for them to score. Without Olise, I don’t spot either of them being rather arsenic strong. 

I don’t cognize if he’ll get the votes due to the fact that helium doesn’t people arsenic much, but I don’t deliberation anyone successful the satellite is arsenic bully connected the ball, arsenic precise successful choky spaces, oregon arsenic pugnacious to dispossess arsenic Olise. If you measure what helium did for his 2 teams and however palmy his team’s were, than it should beryllium Olise winning this award. I don’t deliberation either Bayern oregon France would person achieved arsenic overmuch without Olise connected the pitch. If we're evaluating a player’s wide game, their interaction connected the team, and the trophies they've won, Olise ticks each those boxes and deserves the Ballon d’Or. 

Seye Omidiora, Reporter - Harry Kane

Brendan McGilligan, Reporter - Lamine Yamal

Despite having a less-than-exemplary World Cup, helium did inactive lend to Spain's triumph contempt rushing backmost from injury, and helium was cardinal to Barcelona's La Liga success. He is arguably the astir people talented footballer successful the satellite astatine the infinitesimal and truthful it makes him the champion presently playing.

Marvellous Adepoju, Reporter - Harry Kane

The Bayern Munich marksman netted 73 goals successful 65 appearances crossed each competitions for nine and state past play portion besides winning a league and cupful double.

He besides captained England to a third-place decorativeness astatine the World Cup with six goals successful 7 matches.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or feels similar 1 of the astir unfastened races ever but I deliberation Kane is the astir deserving winner.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Harry Kane

The Ballon d’Or has historically been awarded to players that person won 1 of the game’s biggest trophies successful the enactment period, but Harry Kane deserves to assertion the prize without either the Champions League oregon World Cup to his name.

Lamine Yamal made headlines arsenic helium lifted the World Cup with Spain, though the world is that the 19-year-old was mostly ineffective successful the summer, scoring conscionable erstwhile during the 4-0 radical triumph implicit Saudi Arabia and failing to supply a azygous assistance aft heading into the tourney with an injury.

By contrast, Kane bagged six goals and created different for his teammates, contempt falling abbreviated of the crown.

Yamal has a lawsuit for having made the champion commencement to the 2026-27 campaign, but for the enactment period, it is hard to place Kane’s staggering 73 goals and 8 assists successful 65 matches - adjacent if shot is astir much than conscionable earthy output.

For comparison, the Englishman recovered the backmost of the nett 61 times for Bayern Munich past term, acold beyond the 42 that Kylian Mbappe mustered for Real Madrid and 38 Erling Haaland converted for Manchester City, portion eclipsing Yamal’s 24 strikes for Barcelona.