Ballon d’Or previews offer differing views on men’s award favourite

Harry Kane is the favourite in DW and Sky News coverage, while three BBC pundits predict Lamine Yamal will win but favour Khvicha Kvaratskhelia themselves. The previews differ over how much weight to give club performances and World Cup success.

• The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium. The supplied reports give different start times: the New York Post lists 4:30 p.m. ET, while Times of India lists 2000 GMT.· 2 sources
• DW and Sky News identify Kane as the favourite. DW reports that he scored 73 goals for club and country last season and highlights his passing, leadership and development at Bayern Munich.· 2 sources
• All three pundits in the supplied BBC report personally favour Kvaratskhelia but expect Yamal to win. They emphasise Kvaratskhelia’s contribution to Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League title defence and question how heavily national-team success should influence voting.· 1 source
• Times of India identifies Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Kane and Lionel Messi as the leading men’s contenders. It names Alexia Putellas as the women’s favourite and reports that defending winner Aitana Bonmatí missed the shortlist after a leg fracture.· 1 source
• The assessment period ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, according to Times of India, excluding Kane’s subsequent performances. It reports that journalists rank 10 of the 30 nominees, with the highest points total determining the winner.· 1 source