Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has named Lionel Messi as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, overlooking other leading contenders including Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. According to the report, Cech backed the eight-time winner to claim football's most prestigious individual prize once again, despite strong challenges from the England captain, the French forward and the young Barcelona star in the race for the award.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has named his two favourites for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, speaking on CBS Sports. According to the Daily Post, Henry picked Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe as his top choice to win the award, with Bayern Munich's Michael Olise tipped to finish close behind the France captain.

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.

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.

Former Arsenal defensive midfielder Emmanuel Petit has said that Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or award. According to Petit, Kvaratskhelia's performances over the last two years justify him winning the prize. Petit added that the Georgian international belongs on a short, non-exhaustive list of contenders for the prestigious individual football honour, according to the Daily Post report.

Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe took part in a rapid-fire question session posted on the official X account of the Ballon d’Or, according to Daily Post. He was asked to choose among football icons including Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Delima and other former winners, working through a bracket of legends to identify his greatest Ballon d’Or winner. The excerpt does not reveal his final selection.