Kane leads the list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or ahead of a historic ceremony in London.

He also won the Bundesliga title and the top scorer award, and led the scoring charts in the DFB-Pokal, while Bayern reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Kane's chances have been bolstered by a strong start to the 2026/2027 season, despite his team's exit from the Champions League semifinals and England finishing third in the World Cup.

The 33-year-old Kane hopes to become the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d'Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, and he could also be the first English player to win it since Michael Owen in 2001.

 The competition will be tough, given the outstanding performance of Lamine Yamal with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

The young player scored 25 goals and provided 20 assists during the period that includes the candidates' statistics, contributing to Barcelona's La Liga title win, while also topping the assist charts in the league and playing a key role in Spain's World Cup victory.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé scored 58 goals and provided 13 assists with Real Madrid and the French national team, winning the top scorer title in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, while also leading the World Cup scoring charts with 10 goals.

Argentinian Lionel Messi also stands out among the candidates, having scored 45 goals and provided 30 assists, leading Inter Miami to the MLS title, in addition to guiding the Argentine national team to the World Cup final.

The list of candidates also includes several prominent football stars, such as Michael Olise, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Rodri, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, along with Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, and Rodri, the 2024 winner.

In addition to the men's Ballon d'Or, the ceremony will feature the women's Ballon d'Or, the Copa awards for the best male and female players under 21, the Yashin awards for the best male and female goalkeepers, the Gerd Müller awards for the best male and female scorers, the Johan Cruyff awards for the best male and female coaches, the best club awards for men and women, and the Socrates award for humanitarian and social work, bringing the total number of awards to 13.

 Women's Competition Awards

In the women's category, Spanish player Alexia Putellas leads the prominent names, having guided Barcelona to a season filled with titles, including La Liga, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Champions League.

Putellas, a two-time winner of the award, aims to close in on the record held by her compatriot Aitana Bonmatí, who has won it three times in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Jamaican Khadija Shaw, a forward for Manchester City, also stands out, having topped the scoring charts in the Women's Super League for the third consecutive season with 21 goals, contributing to her team's league and FA Cup victories.

The list of nominees also includes Polish Eva Payo, a forward for Barcelona, who led the UEFA Champions League scoring charts with 11 goals, and Haitian Melchie Dumornay, a player for Lyon.

Other awards will honor the best young talents, goalkeepers, scorers, and coaches, as well as clubs that achieved the best results, while the Socrates award highlights humanitarian and social initiatives related to football.

The men's Ballon d'Or is determined by a vote of 100 journalists from around the world, who evaluate a final list of 30 players. The voting is based on individual player performance and impact, as well as collective achievements and titles won, in addition to sportsmanship and commitment to fair play.

As the ceremony approaches, all eyes are on Kane, who could end the Ballon d'Or wait for Bayern Munich and England, but the final decision will depend on the votes of journalists in a race featuring some of the game's biggest stars.

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The ceremony will be held at the London Palladium, celebrating the 70th edition of the award presented by France Football magazine since 1956, which is considered one of the most prestigious individual awards in football. London has been chosen to host this event in honor of Englishman Stanley Matthews, the first player to win the award in 1956.

Kane appears to be the frontrunner for the award, having had an exceptional season with Bayern Munich, scoring 73 goals across all competitions for his club and national team during the 2025/2026 season.

He also won the Bundesliga title and the top scorer award, and led the scoring charts in the DFB-Pokal, while Bayern reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Kane's chances have been bolstered by a strong start to the 2026/2027 season, despite his team's exit from the Champions League semifinals and England finishing third in the World Cup.

The 33-year-old Kane hopes to become the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d'Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, and he could also be the first English player to win it since Michael Owen in 2001.

 The competition will be tough, given the outstanding performance of Lamine Yamal with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

The young player scored 25 goals and provided 20 assists during the period that includes the candidates' statistics, contributing to Barcelona's La Liga title win, while also topping the assist charts in the league and playing a key role in Spain's World Cup victory.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé scored 58 goals and provided 13 assists with Real Madrid and the French national team, winning the top scorer title in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, while also leading the World Cup scoring charts with 10 goals.

Argentinian Lionel Messi also stands out among the candidates, having scored 45 goals and provided 30 assists, leading Inter Miami to the MLS title, in addition to guiding the Argentine national team to the World Cup final.

The list of candidates also includes several prominent football stars, such as Michael Olise, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Rodri, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, along with Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, and Rodri, the 2024 winner.

In addition to the men's Ballon d'Or, the ceremony will feature the women's Ballon d'Or, the Copa awards for the best male and female players under 21, the Yashin awards for the best male and female goalkeepers, the Gerd Müller awards for the best male and female scorers, the Johan Cruyff awards for the best male and female coaches, the best club awards for men and women, and the Socrates award for humanitarian and social work, bringing the total number of awards to 13.

 Women's Competition Awards

In the women's category, Spanish player Alexia Putellas leads the prominent names, having guided Barcelona to a season filled with titles, including La Liga, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Champions League.

Putellas, a two-time winner of the award, aims to close in on the record held by her compatriot Aitana Bonmatí, who has won it three times in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Jamaican Khadija Shaw, a forward for Manchester City, also stands out, having topped the scoring charts in the Women's Super League for the third consecutive season with 21 goals, contributing to her team's league and FA Cup victories.

The list of nominees also includes Polish Eva Payo, a forward for Barcelona, who led the UEFA Champions League scoring charts with 11 goals, and Haitian Melchie Dumornay, a player for Lyon.

Other awards will honor the best young talents, goalkeepers, scorers, and coaches, as well as clubs that achieved the best results, while the Socrates award highlights humanitarian and social initiatives related to football.

The men's Ballon d'Or is determined by a vote of 100 journalists from around the world, who evaluate a final list of 30 players. The voting is based on individual player performance and impact, as well as collective achievements and titles won, in addition to sportsmanship and commitment to fair play.

As the ceremony approaches, all eyes are on Kane, who could end the Ballon d'Or wait for Bayern Munich and England, but the final decision will depend on the votes of journalists in a race featuring some of the game's biggest stars.