Ballon d'Or 2026 Voting Closes With Yamal and Mbappé as Front-Runners

Voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has closed, with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé the leading contenders for the prize.

• Voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or closed Monday, with Yamal and Mbappé emerging as the campaign's two strongest candidates.
• Yamal's season included a La Liga–Spanish Super Cup double with Barcelona, 24 goals in all competitions, and the 2026 World Cup title with Spain.
• Yamal said he and Mbappé are the two best players in the world and that he deserves the award based on the titles he won.
• Mbappé, who said he became the World Cup's all-time top scorer this summer, stated he would vote for himself.