The Ballon d’Or is one of the most coveted individual prizes in all of sport, recognizing the best footballers from the past 12 months. Usually a clear favorite has emerged for the prize, but 2026 could be a little different as there’s a few players who will have genuine belief—Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé in particular—that this year is their year.
The shortlists for the main Ballon d’Or award, the Women’s Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy and a host of other awards are being revealed this Tuesday—follow along with Sports Illustrated as the players in contention are confirmed.
