Which players are the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or? Discover the odds for the leading footballers to win the award, including Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe!
Over the course of the last year, we’ve seen some of the world’s best footballers go head-to-head to compete for some of the biggest prizes in both club and international football. From the highs of global tournaments like the World Cup to the season-long battles in the best leagues across Europe, there have been standout performances that have placed a handful of elite footballers into contention for the Ballon d’Or.
Regardless of which tournament or competition these individual performances have come from, it’s the players’ outstanding consistency across the campaign that sets them apart as the award’s leading contenders.
But who are the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or tonight?
In the following blog, we’ve discussed the Ballon d’Or betting odds and picked out the frontrunners to win the award, highlighting why they are heavy favourites to take home the most coveted individual prize in football this evening.
Which players are favourites to win the Ballon d’Or?
Below are the players leading the race to win the Ballon d’Or tonight:
Player | Odds to win the Ballon d’Or |
Harry Kane | |
Kylian Mbappe | |
Lamine Yamal |
Harry Kane
Combining a highly successful Bundesliga campaign with runs to the Champions League and World Cup semi-finals, Harry Kane has no doubt been one of, if not the best, footballers on the planet over the last year. Despite being known for finding the back of the net, Kane’s goalscoring impressed nonetheless, hitting heights that surprised even his biggest of supporters.
England’s number nine managed to win a domestic treble with his club Bayern Munich, lifting the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and the German Supercup, alongside reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, only losing to the eventual winners PSG.
He also put in elite performances against the likes of DR Congo during the World Cup, massively helping England in their journey to a third-place finish.
Looking at all this, it’s no surprise that Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or odds / are so favourable. Considering that his odds have shortened from 4/7 in September, his chances of claiming the award have increased ahead of tonight’s ceremony.
Kylian Mbappe
For many years now, Kylian Mbappe has placed himself into the conversation around the world’s best footballers, first rising to the spotlight in 2018 with his World Cup victory. Last season, however, he showed top form yet again for both club and country.
His performances at the 2026 World Cup saw him take his nation to a fourth-place finish, becoming the top goalscorer in the process after netting on 10 occasions throughout the tournament. Not only is this an impressive tally, but it made him the all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, placing him ahead of Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose – the holder of the record prior to the tournament.
Across all 60 matches that he played in the 2025/26 season, he scored 58 goals and racked up 13 assists, giving him a hugely impressive average of 1.18 goals and assists per game. His 25 goals in 31 La Liga matches also earned him the 2025/26 Pichichi Trophy as he became the league’s top goalscorer.
Since September, Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or odds / have shortened significantly from 6/1, placing him in a much stronger position for tonight’s ceremony than he has been previously.
Lamine Yamal
Another unsurprising inclusion in the Ballon d’Or conversation is the Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Since entering the spotlight at just 16 years of age, Yamal’s profile in world football has only grown bigger and better. His 2025/26 campaign saw him lift both the La Liga title and the Supercopa, helping Barcelona secure a domestic double.
Then in his first-ever World Cup campaign, he went on to lift the title, adding a second international trophy to his rapidly growing list of honours at just 19 years old.
Yamal also put in some incredible performances, with his hat-trick against Villarreal in February making him the youngest player of the 21st century to net one in La Liga!
Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or odds / have changed since September, however, with his previous chances of 4/1 lengthening as of late. Regardless, he still has a good opportunity ahead of tonight’s Ballon d’Or ceremony and sits among the leading contenders.
Will we see a first-time Ballon d’Or winner?
Yes, most likely! Since the era of Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance came to an end, the debate of who might win the Ballon d’Or is much more open than it has been previously.
Considering that the frontrunners are Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Lamine Yamal, we’re almost guaranteed to see a new Ballon d’Or winner tonight, with each having never won the award before.
There is, however, a very slim chance that Lionel Messi / goes on to lift a record ninth Ballon d’Or after his impressive World Cup campaign with Argentina. He may have scored eight times and reached the final, but as he’s more of an outsider in the football betting markets, it’s unlikely.
