Ballon d'Or 2026: Predicting the Next Footballing Superstars and Award Winners

All eyes will be on London this Monday evening as the winner of the 2026 Ballon d'Or is set to be announced. Last year, Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious award, finishing ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in second place and Vitinha of Uefa Champions League winners PSG in third. In the women's category, Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati secured her third consecutive victory. Other notable award recipients included Yamal for the men's under-21 category and England's Sarina Wiegman for best women's coach. The article 'Ballon d’Or 2026: Nominees, favourites, ceremony date and how to watch' provides further details. Below, we offer our predictions for who will be taking home awards from the ceremony at the London Palladium.

Ballon d’Or (Best men's player)

1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England): The stage appears set for the England captain to win the award on home soil, marking the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane had a remarkable season, scoring 61 goals in 51 games and spearheading Bayern Munich to a domestic double. He also netted six goals in the Fifa World Cup, contributing to England's third-place finish.
2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain): The young talent, who was runner-up last year, is expected to claim the top prize in the near future. The 19-year-old contributed 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 matches for Barcelona as they retained the La Liga title. He also helped Spain win the World Cup, though a pre-tournament injury may have affected his overall impact, with one goal and one assist registered in North America.
3. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France): The 27-year-old striker finished last season with 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid, securing the Spanish Golden Boot for the second consecutive season. For France, Mbappe won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, becoming the all-time top scorer with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. However, the lack of trophies for both Real Madrid and France may hinder his Ballon d'Or chances.

Ballon d’Or Feminin (Best women’s player)

1. Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/London City Lionesses and Spain): In her final season in Spain before her move to London, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner was instrumental in Barcelona's stunning quadruple, scoring 26 goals and providing 15 assists. Spain also retained the Uefa Nations League title, and Putellas scored twice in their 4-0 World Cup qualification victory over England. A third Ballon d'Or appears likely.
2. Ewa Pajor (Barcelona and Poland): Pajor is expected to secure a one-two finish for Barcelona, having scored 33 goals and assisted seven more in their quadruple-winning season. The 29-year-old was the Champions League top scorer with 11 goals, and her 16 Liga F goals were surpassed only by teammate Claudia Pina's 21. Pajor also ended a streak of five consecutive Champions League final defeats by scoring twice in the 4-0 final win against OL Lyonnes.
3. Khadija Shaw (Manchester City and Jamaica): Shaw had a phenomenal goal-scoring season for Manchester City, with 21 goals in 22 games contributing to their league and FA Cup double. The 29-year-old dominated individual awards, winning her third consecutive Women's Super League Golden Boot and the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards. She also scored nine goals in Concacaf Women’s Championship qualification, helping Jamaica reach the finals.

Kopa Trophy (Best men's under-21)

1. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain): For the second year in a row, Yamal might have to settle for the award for the best young player.
2. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona and Spain): A defensive rock for both club and country, the 19-year-old played 48 games as Barcelona won another La Liga title. He played every minute of Spain's World Cup triumph, earning the tournament's best young player award.
3. Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG and France): The 20-year-old midfielder was crucial in PSG retaining their Champions League title, making 54 appearances across all competitions as the French side secured four trophies. His limited game time at the World Cup, playing only 109 minutes, slightly diminishes his otherwise impressive campaign.

Kopa Trophy (Best women's under-21)

1. Vicky Lopez (Barcelona and Spain): The winner of last year's inaugural award is the favourite to win again. The 20-year-old attacker contributed 17 goals and 15 assists in 53 matches as Barcelona won four trophies. She earned her first senior title when Spain won the Nations League.
2. Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes and United States): Her first season in France, after moving from Ajax, saw the 19-year-old contribute six goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances for OL Lyonnes, who won the treble and reached the Champions League final.
3. Clara Serrajordi (Barcelona and Spain): At just 18, she has established herself in Barcelona's midfield, making 48 appearances in their quadruple-winning campaign and earning four senior Spanish caps.

Yashin Trophy (Best men's goalkeeper)

1. David Raya (Arsenal and Spain): Raya had a magnificent season for Arsenal, winning a third consecutive Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets in 37 Premier League games, helping the Gunners contend for the title. He also kept nine clean sheets in 14 Champions League games as Arsenal reached the final. The 31-year-old narrowly edges out his Spanish teammate Simon for this award.
2. Unai Simon (Athletic Club and Spain): Preferred by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente over Raya, Simon proved his worth by winning the World Cup Golden Glove award with seven clean sheets and conceding only one goal in eight matches, as Spain defeated Argentina in the final. The 29-year-old also started 37 of 38 La Liga games for his club, keeping six clean sheets.
3. Joan Garcia (Barcelona and Spain): Completing a Spanish clean sweep in the top three, Garcia had a stellar season for Barcelona, keeping 15 clean sheets in 30 La Liga appearances with only 21 goals conceded. The 25-year-old won the Zamora Trophy for the lowest goals-to-games ratio in his first season at the club after moving from Espanyol.

Best women's goalkeeper

1. Cata Coll (Barcelona and Spain): Barcelona and Spain's dominance in the women's awards continues. Coll kept 23 clean sheets in 39 matches for club and country, conceding just 18 goals.
2. Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City and Japan): Yamashita earned the domestic double with Manchester City, keeping eight clean sheets in 20 matches. The 31-year-old was also named best goalkeeper in the Asian Cup, which Japan won after defeating Australia in the final.
3. Lorena (Kansas City Current and Brazil): Enjoyed a remarkable debut season in the NWSL, setting a league record by not conceding a goal for 900 minutes. The 29-year-old also set another record with 14 clean sheets in 24 games, helping Kansas City Current win the NWSL Shield.

Best men's coach

1. Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain): The Spaniard guided PSG to their second consecutive Champions League title and five trophies overall, and is expected to retain his coach of the year award. PSG is on track to become only the fourth club to win three or more consecutive European Cups.
2. Luis de la Fuente (Spain): Spain delivered a dominant performance on their way to lifting the World Cup for the second time, with De la Fuente's side winning seven out of eight matches. Spain are now unbeaten in a record 42 games and are the reigning European and world champions.
3. Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich): The Belgian led Bayern Munich to a domestic double and the Champions League semi-finals, followed by winning the German Super Cup in August.

Best women's coach

1. Pere Romeu (Barcelona): The 32-year-old Spaniard masterminded Barcelona's dominance in European women's football, losing only once across all competitions last season.
2. Jonatan Giraldez (OL Lyonnes): Another Spaniard who achieved great success, leading Lyon to the Premiere Ligue title without a single loss. However, they were defeated in the Champions League final by Barcelona.
3. Andree Jeglertz (Manchester City): The Swede's first season in charge saw Manchester City win their first WSL title in a decade and thrash Brighton in the FA Cup final.