France Football is expected to unveil the shortlist of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or today, and a list of the top five favourites has emerged ahead of the announcement. According to Kalshi, England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is currently leading the race for the prestigious individual prize. The rankings highlight the leading contenders as anticipation builds around the official nominee list for this year's award.

France Football, organisers of the Ballon d'Or, have officially released the shortlist of nominees for the 2026 edition of the award, publishing the lists on their website on Tuesday. According to the Daily Post, Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele is the current holder of the prize, having beaten Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to win it last year. Details of this year's ceremony, including the venue and date, are expected to follow the announcement of the nominees.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has said he would vote for himself to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the Daily Post reports. Speaking to French newspaper L'Equipe, Mbappe, who is regarded as one of the favourites for the prestigious individual award, responded to a question about his vote by saying he would back himself. The France captain's comments come as speculation builds ahead of the 2026 edition of the prize, which recognises the world's best footballer.

As of June 24, 2026, Lionel Messi is leading the race for the Golden Boot in the World Cup with five goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are closely following with four goals each, raising questions about whether this could be the best Golden Boot contest ever, according to Al Jazeera.

Punch reports that the shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees has been announced, opening the award’s 70th year honouring achievements in world football during the 2025/26 season. According to the report, the nominees were revealed on Tuesday through the award body’s X handle, with categories including Men’s and Women’s Striker awards among those listed.

France Football, organisers of the Ballon d'Or, is set to unveil the nominees for the 2026 edition of the award on Tuesday, September 8. According to the Daily Post, fans and pundits expect 30-man and 30-woman shortlists recognising the best male and female footballers. In total, shortlists will be announced across 12 award categories, with nominated players, coaches and clubs to be confirmed during the unveiling.