Ballon d’Or 2026 odds and favourites: Harry Kane still backed by bookies

The Ballon d'Or 2026 will be awarded on Monday, with 30 candidates nominated for the prestigious award.

The official list of candidates are as follows:

Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominees 30 Players

All (30) Ligue 1 (10) La Liga (7) Prem. League (5) Bundesliga (4) Other (4)

Full list of 30 Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees with their clubs, filterable by league

#	Nominee
1	Jude BellinghamReal Madrid
2	Pau CubarsiBarcelona
3	Marc CucurellaChelsea / Real Madrid
4	Ousmane DembeleParis Saint-Germain
5	Luis DiazBayern Munich
6	Bruno FernandesManchester United
7	Gabriel MagalhaesArsenal
8	Erling HaalandManchester City
9	Achraf HakimiParis Saint-Germain
10	Harry KaneBayern Munich
11	Khvicha KvaratskheliaParis Saint-Germain
12	Lamine YamalBarcelona
13	Sadio ManeAl-Nassr
14	MarquinhosParis Saint-Germain
15	Lautaro MartinezInter Milan
16	Kylian MbappeReal Madrid
17	Nuno MendesParis Saint-Germain
18	Lionel MessiInter Miami
19	Joao NevesParis Saint-Germain
20	Michael OliseBayern Munich
21	Willian PachoParis Saint-Germain
22	Julian QuinonesAl-Qadsiah
23	Declan RiceArsenal
24	RodriManchester City / Barcelona
25	Fabian RuizParis Saint-Germain
26	William SalibaArsenal
27	Ferran TorresBarcelona / Paris Saint-Germain
28	Dayot UpamecanoBayern Munich
29	Vinicius JuniorReal Madrid
30	VitinhaParis Saint-Germain

Ligue 1 La Liga Premier League Bundesliga Other

Ceremony: 26 October 2026

Here, FootballWhispers counts down the favourites to win and their respective odds with bookmakers.

Ballon d'Or 2026 odds and favourites: The top five

5. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 66/1

Bukayo Saka is currently the fifth-favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2026. Arsenal's starboy enjoyed a memorable 2025/26 season as he helped win the Gunners their first Premier League title in 22 years.

4. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – 40/1

Lionel Messi has won more Ballons d'Or than anyone else (eight), with the latest coming in 2023 after helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar. The Inter Miami star also had a brilliant tournament in 2026, as the South Americans reached back-to-back World Cup finals.

3. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) – 18/1

While Real Madrid did not win any major silverware last season, Kylian Mbappe was phenomenal individually. He scored 42 goals in all competitions in 2025/26, and also won the Golden Boot with France at the World Cup.

2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 7/2

Lamine Yamal is the second-favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2026, after winning multiple major honours with club and country. Indeed, the teenager helped Barcelona win La Liga and Spain lift the World Cup trophy, performing at a level well beyond his years.

1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – 2/5

Despite only placing fifth in our Ballon d’Or 2026 power rankings, Harry Kane is the clear favourite to win it for the first time. The Bayern Munich superstar scored an incredible 61 goals across all competitions in 2025/26, helping his team win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, while also continuing his goalscoring form into the World Cup with England and this campaign.