Mbappé, Yamal, Olise Among Top Contenders for Ballon d’Or Crown
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to hold in London on Monday, with Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Michael Olise among the leading contenders for the prestigious men’s award. The 70th edition will honour outstanding achievements across several categories, including the best players, goalkeepers, young talents and coaches. According to the award’s official website, live coverage will begin at 4pm London time, with updates, reactions and announcements throughout the ceremony. The winner will succeed Ousmane Dembélé, who is also among the nominees alongside Mbappé, Yamal, Kane, Olise, Vitinha, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The men’s award will be decided by an international jury of specialist journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, while journalists from the top 50 countries will vote for the women’s award. Each juror will rank 10 players from a 30-man shortlist, awarding points from 15 for first place to one for 10th place. The player with the highest total will win, with first-place votes determining the winner in the event of a tie. The ceremony will also feature the women’s Ballon d’Or and other honours recognising excellence across football. The organisers said no confirmed leak had revealed the winners ahead of the event.
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