The count down is on to find out who will be crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, so here's everything you need to know including the latest odds and offers before next month's ceremony.
The 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place at the London Palladium Theatre for the first time next month, as France Football magazine and UEFA come together to present football's most prestigious individual honour.
With the 30-man shortlist shortlist for the men's award now confirmed following the 2026 World Cup, we are entering the final stretch before the best footballer in the world for the 2025/26 season is determined.
Spain's triumph over Argentina in the final will no doubt help Rodri and Lamine Yamal in their pursuit, however Harry Kane remains the favourite with the bookies after his incredible season with Bayern Munich.
Here's all the information punters need when betting on this year's Ballon d'Or, including where to find the latest odds, best betting offers and full list of nominees in 2026!
Ballon d'Or 2026 Odds: Who leads the race after nominees announced?
Currently, Harry Kane is leading the way with the bookmakers sitting at 4/6, making him set to become the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
The 33-year-old had his most prolific campaign in his career last season, which is quite the feat in itself, scoring 61 times and assisting 7 in 51 matches at domestic level while adding 6 goals and 1 assist for England at the World Cup.
Lamine Yamal is the next closest challenger according to the bookmakers at 4/1, as the young winger recorded 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona on the way to a La Liga and Supercopa domestic double.
While Yamal may not have had the best World Cup in the summer, Spain lifting the trophy for the first time since 2010 and his 6 goals in 5 matches to start the new season will only help towards his case to win the Ballon d'Or in 2026.
Making up the top three is Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, who despite not winning any silverware last term, had an incredible season on an individual level. Scoring 42 times and creating a further 7 in all competitions for Los Blancos, including the Golden Boot in the Champions League, gives him 6/1 odds as it stands.
Not to mention the France forward netting another 10 World Cup goals to become the outright top scorer in the competition's history, Mbappe will undoubtedly be in the conversation come October. See the latest Ballon d'Or 2026 odds below:
Sky Bet Offer: Bet £5 on Ballon d'Or 2026, Get £40 in Free Bets
Get ready for the Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony with Sky Bet's £40 in free bets by placing just a £5 opening wager! Follow the quick steps below to get started:
- Click the button below to opt into this promotion and create your new Sky Bet account
- Deposit a minimum of £5 by Pay by Bank, Debit Cards or Apple Pay
- Place a minimum first bet of £5 or more on any Sky Bet market (single, each way, or multiples) at odds of 1/1 or greater
- Once your bet has settled, your account will be credited with £40 in Free Bets (4 x £10 tokens), ready to use on the Ballon d'Or 2026
BetMGM Offer: Bet £10 on Ballon d'Or 2026, Get £40 in Free Bets
Simply bet £10 on your Ballon d'Or 2026 winner to earn a generous £40 in free bets, thanks to BetMGM! Here's how you can opt in below:
- Click the link below to claim the BetMGM sign up offer and open a new account
- Make an opening deposit of at least £10
- Place a bet at minimum odds of Evens 1/1 (2.0) - any each-way bet must have a £10 stake each-way
- Once your qualifying bet settles, your 4 x £10 Free Bets (on any event/market) will be automatically credited to your Account as follows: 2 x £10 Sports Bets, and 2 x £10 Free Bets on Bet Builders (min odds 3/1 (4.0))
Paddy Power Offer: Bet £5 on Ballon d'Or 2026, Get £40 in Free Bets
Sign up with Paddy Power ahead of next month's 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony to get a huge £40 in free bets when you stake just £5! Check out how to unlock your bonus tokens below:
- Click the offer button below to open your new Paddy Power account using promo code YSKATF
- Deposit a minimum of £5 using Pay by Bank, a debit card or Apple Pay
- Place a £5 qualifying bet on any market at odds of at least 1.50 (1/2)
- Once your bet settles, you’ll receive a total of £40 in free bets, which can be used on the Ballon d'Or 2026 market
William Hill Offer: Bet £10 on Ballon d'Or 2026, Get £30 in Free Bets
Get your hands on £30 in free bets to use on the 2026 Ballon d'Or market simply by creating your new William Hill account and wagering £10 on your winner! Take a look at how to claim below:
- Click on the offer button below to register for a William Hill account and enter the promo code ‘R30’
- Deposit a minimum of £10 in your account
- Place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any market
- Once this bet settles, you will receive £30 in free bets credited as 3 x £10 denominations which can be used on the Ballon d'Or 2026
Ladbrokes Offer: Bet £5 on Ballon d'Or 2026, Get £30 in Free Bets
Ladbrokes has you covered for this year's Ballon d'Or betting with a straightforward sign up offer which sees new users earn £30 in free bets! Simply deposit and wager £5 to receive the rewards:
- Click the offer button below to claim Ladbrokes' welcome deal and create your new account
- Deposit a minimum of £5 using an eligible payment method
- Place a £5+ qualifying bet on any market at 1/1 odds or greater
- Once your bet has settled, your account will be credited with £30 in Free Bets (6 x £5 tokens), which can be used on the Ballon d'Or 2026
Ballon d'Or Nominees for 2026
The 30 nominees for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or are as follows:
-
Jude Bellingham — Midfielder, Real Madrid
-
Pau Cubarsí — Defender, Barcelona
-
Marc Cucurella — Defender, Real Madrid
-
Ousmane Dembélé — Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Luis Díaz — Forward, Bayern Munich
-
Bruno Fernandes — Midfielder, Manchester United
-
Gabriel Magalhães — Defender, Arsenal
-
Erling Haaland — Forward, Manchester City
-
Achraf Hakimi — Defender, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Harry Kane — Forward, Bayern Munich
-
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Sadio Mané — Forward, Al Nassr
-
Marquinhos — Defender, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Lautaro Martínez — Forward, Inter Milan
-
Kylian Mbappé — Forward, Real Madrid
-
Nuno Mendes — Defender, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Lionel Messi — Forward, Inter Miami
-
João Neves — Midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Michael Olise — Midfielder/Forward, Bayern Munich
-
Willian Pacho — Defender, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Julián Quiñones — Forward, Al Qadsiah
-
Declan Rice — Midfielder, Arsenal
-
Rodri — Midfielder, Barcelona
-
Fabián Ruiz — Midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain
-
William Saliba — Defender, Arsenal
-
Ferran Torres — Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Dayot Upamecano — Defender, Bayern Munich
-
Vinícius Júnior — Forward, Real Madrid
-
Vitinha — Midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain
-
Lamine Yamal — Forward, Barcelona
Ballon d'Or Winners by Year
Here's a quick look at some of the most recent Ballon d'Or winners, and the clubs they played at the time:
- 2025 - Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
- 2024 - Rodri (Manchester City)
- 2023 - Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- 2022 - Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- 2021 - Lionel Messi (PSG)
- 2020 - N/A
- 2019 - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2018 - Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
- 2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2015 - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
When and where is the Ballon d'Or 2026 Ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony is set to take place on Monday 26 October at the London Palladium Theatre.
