The 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or will be celebrated this Monday at the London Palladium. Top contenders for the men's trophy include Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane, while Alexia Putellas leads the women's race.
The London Palladium hosts the 70th anniversary of France Football's prize
For the first time in the history of the awards, the ceremony is being held in London. As reported, this marks the first time the event has taken place outside of France since 2015. The event, which begins at 2000 GMT on Monday, celebrates seven decades of the prestige prize established by France Football in 1956.
This geographic shift suggests a desire to internationalize the brand further, moving away from its Parisian roots to a global hub of sport and entertainment. the ceremony will not only crown the best players but also present awards for the best coach, club, and goalkeeper, alongside the Socrates Award for societal contributions.
Harry Kane's 98-game sprint to 100 Bundesliga goals
Harry Kane enters the conversation as a primary favorite following a historic stint in Germany. According to the report, Kane became the fastest player to reach 100 Bundesliga goals, achieving the milestone in just 98 appearances. His case is bolstered by titles with Bayern Munich and a third-place finish with England at the World Cup.
In contrast, Kylian Mbappe faces a steeper climb despite his individual brilliance. While Mbappe became the highest scorer in World Cup history, he failed to secure major trophies with either Real Madrid or the French national team. Having slipped to seventh in the rankings last year,Mbappe's lack of silverware may prove a decisive handicap compared to the trophy-laden campaigns of Harry Kane or Lamine Yamal.
Lamine Yamal and the 39-year-old Lionel Messi
The men's 30-man shortlist highlights a stark generational divide. Lamine Yamal, who has been named the best young player for two consecutive years, arrives after leading Barcelona to a Spanish title and helping Spain secure the World Cup. Yamal represents the new guard of soccer, poised to claim his first major individual honor.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi continues to defy the typical aging curve of the sport. At 39, Messi remains in contention after leading Inter Miami to its first MLS Cup and nearly guiding Argentina to consecutive World Cup titles. With eight previous wins, Messi is attempting to extend a record that puts him three trophies ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five.
Alexia Putellas' path to a third trophy without Aitana Bonmati
The women's race is defined by the absence of the last three years' winner, Aitana Bonmati, who is missing from the shortlist due to a leg fracture suffered in December. This opens the door for Alexia Putellas, a two-time winner who is now favored to claim her third trophy. Putellas recently transitioned to the London City Lionesses after winning the Champions League and the Spanish title with Barcelona.
While Putellas is the frontrunner, the competition remains tight. Other leading contenders include Claudia Pina of Barcelona and Khadija Shaw of Manchester City. The outcome will depend on whether the voters prioritize Putellas' return to form over the consistent output of the other nominees.
The 100-journalist vote and the July 19 cutoff
The winner is determined by a panel of one journalist from each of FIFA's top 100-ranked nations. These voters assign points to 10 nominees, with 15 points awarded for a first-place vote. However, the judging period was strictly limited to the window between August 3, 2025, and July 19, 2026 .
This strict cutoff leaves some questions regarding the currnt state of the game.. Specifically, it remains unclear how the voters will weigh the lack of team trophies for Kylian Mbappe against his individual goal-scoring records. Additionally, because the window closed in July, the exceptional early-season form of Harry Kane in the current campaign cannot be factored into the final tally, potentially capping the strength of his candidacy.
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