Sports
Players pick their favorites as the 2026 Ballon d'Or race heads to London
September 24, 2026 at 02:55 PM · Updated 22d ago
Coverage
7 reports · over 11 hours
Players have weighed in on the 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of the October 26 ceremony in London, the award's first edition outside Paris.
- The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held October 26 in London, the first time in the award's 70-year history outside Paris.
- Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner, said he does not consider himself the favorite and picked teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to win.
- Joao Felix said Lamine Yamal is the top candidate for the award.
- Anthony Gordon said the award should go to either Lamine Yamal or Harry Kane.
- Fabián Ruiz said in an interview cited by AS that he dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or, calling himself the most decorated player with seven trophies in recent years.
- Lamine Yamal said in an interview with Spanish TV RTVE that few players in Europe entertain crowds the way he does.





