Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleHarry Kane is hoping to become the first English winner of the award since Michael Owen in 2001 (Getty)The nominees for the men's and women's Ballon d'Or have been officially announced, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in London on Monday 26 October. England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been named on the 30-man shortlist and is the odds-on favourite following a remarkable 73-goal season for club and country. Other leading contenders include Spain's Rodri, who won the World Cup Golden Ball, and France forward Kylian Mbappe, who broke the World Cup goalscoring record with 10 goals, while Arsenal trio Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have also made the cut.Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has also been shortlisted after standing out in the men's Champions League and helping his side defend their European title. In the women’s category, England duo Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood have made the shortlist.In fullBallon d’Or nominees: Full list of contenders for every award ahead of 2026 ceremonyMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

OPINION: The Ballon d'Or usually goes to a player who lifted the World Cup in a global tournament year - but there is no more deserving winner than Harry Kane

Kane scored 73 times for club and country last season and is the bookmakers’ favourite to win the Ballon d’Or

Harry Kane leads the 2026 Ballon d'Or prediction markets. Kane winning at 63% YES.