Harry Kane is among the favorites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or when the annual awards ceremony for the world’s best player takes place in London next month. Kane is one of three English nominees for the award along with Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, with Lionel Messi, 39, hoping to win his ninth Ballon d’Or of his illustrious career. If Kane had won the Ballon d’Or, he would have become the first Englishman to do so since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fifth Englishman in history to win the historic award. Harry Kane favorite? This year, more than any other, seems like Kane’s best opportunity to celebrate his personal contributions to a career marked by his dedication. After scoring a mammoth 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich and leading England to the World Cup semi-finals, few nominees can come close to matching Kane’s impact on club and country last season. Harry Kane AFP/Getty In days gone by, Kane’s numbers would have dwarfed the frankly incredible performances of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But that era of goalscoring is difficult to define and even more difficult to replicate. What Kane did last season was amazing. He is not just a striker with unerring precision and unwavering concentration, but a creator, leader and role model. Blurring the definition of a modern striker, Kane found it just as easy to dive deep and orchestrate a pulsating comeback in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain last season as he did to help England beat DR Congo using keen penalty-kick instincts and pure lion instincts. Kane was on a mission last season and the fact that Bayern and England fell short of their ambitions should not count against him. Although the altruistic Kane would probably feel differently given his innate ability to shift the focus from himself to the team. Ironically, and perhaps a little tragically, what makes Kane such an attractive candidate is also the only reason he might miss out. Typically British, Kane has the hallmarks of a self-deprecating second-best. Not given to self-aggrandisement, Kane will no doubt shy away from the sloppy selling that usually takes place in the lead-up to the Ballon d’Or, standing aside while others talk about their chances. Others before him, such as World Cup winner and 2026 candidate Rodri, triumphed in a campaign in which PR and politics took a back seat. However, in an open field such as this year’s 30-strong shortlist, nominees will appeal not only to hard truths but also to emotions. The question is, can Kane’s quality overcome the noise? Lamin Yamal AFP/Getty Harry Kane’s main rivals Among other nominees Kylian Mbappe, Lamin Yamal, Rhodri And Messi will most likely keep pace with Kane. Mbappe, who had never finished in the top three in Ballon d’Or voting, overcame a tumultuous year at Real Madrid to finish with 42 goals in all competitions, including 15 in 11 Champions League matches. The 27-year-old admitted that this would be a good year to win the Ballon d’Or and he clearly feels the burden of history: Real Madrid have the most Ballon d’Or wins (12) of all time. “I think when you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, people associate you with this award,” he said. Yamal is now widely regarded as the best young player on the planet and is likely to be among the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or any year. Lionel Messi has won eight Ballon d’Ors AFP via Getty Images However, an injury-interrupted campaign meant he struggled to contribute to Barcelona’s La Liga victory or Spain’s first World Cup win since 2010. When Yamal played, he produced world-class moments, displaying effortless youth and energy, scoring 16 goals and 12 assists in 28 league matches. However, winning the Ballon d’Or is not just about quality but also about consistency, especially when you are competing with the performances of Kane and Mbappe. Messi and Rodri are previous Ballon d’Or winners and both played important roles respectively in helping Argentina and Spain reach the World Cup final. Rodri was named man of the match in the final, which was won in extra time by fellow nominee Ferran Torres, capping an impressive spell in which he rehabilitated his reputation after a difficult injury spell before sealing a move to Barcelona. Defending champion Ousmane Dembele is also in contention after helping PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles and a productive World Cup. Declan Rice and Gabriel are up for the award Getty Who will leave the Premier League? Premier League champions Arsenal have unsurprisingly dominated England’s top-flight nominees, including Rice, Gabriel and William Saliba. Outside the Arsenal trio, however, there is little representation in the Premier League, with the only other candidates being Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes. David Raya is nominated for men’s goalkeeper of the year, while Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are in the running for manager of the year. Why is the Ballon d’Or held in London? On the 70th anniversary of the award’s establishment, the Ballon d’Or will return to the very spot where the award’s first ever winner, Sir Stanley Matthews, was crowned in 1956. The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris has hosted the Ballon d’Or since 2019, but will temporarily hand over its duties to London’s Palladium theater on Monday 26 October. In a departure from the low-key occasion when Sir Stanley Matthews received the first Ballon d’Or at Blackpool Town Hall, the award will return to its spiritual home to mark the anniversary. 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