The shortlists for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards were unveiled on Tuesday, highlighting some of the world’s top soccer talent on both the men’s and women’s sides. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.

Among the favorites for the men’s Ballon d’Or is England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who could become the fifth English player to win the prestigious individual honor. Another strong contender is 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, who plays for Barcelona and Spain. Yamal finished second in last year’s vote to Ousmane Dembélé and enters this year’s race with a compelling case for the top spot. Kylian Mbappé, representing Real Madrid and France, is also expected to be a prominent figure in the competition.

On the women’s side, the 2026 award will be guaranteed to have a new winner for the first time since 2022. Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati, who had won the previous three women’s Ballon d’Or trophies, is absent from this year’s shortlist due to a leg injury sustained during training with Spain’s national team, which caused her to miss nearly the entire second half of last season. Among the leading candidates is Alexia Putellas, a Spanish international currently with the London City Lionesses, who secured the award in both 2021 and 2022. Another notable contender is Temwa Chawinga of the Kansas City Current and Malawi, who is also expected to be among the top finishers.

The shortlists were compiled by a group of journalists from France Football magazine and L’Equipe newspaper, alongside former players and managers selected by UEFA, European football’s governing body. The selections are based on performances during the 2025-26 season, covering the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. This timeframe includes major international tournaments such as the men’s World Cup and both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Winners will be determined through votes by panels of journalists representing FIFA’s top-ranked countries—100 nations for the men’s award and 50 for the women’s. Voters evaluate candidates based on three main criteria: individual and decisive performances, collective achievements and trophies won, and style or class of play both on and off the pitch. Each journalist ranks their top 10 choices from the shortlist, assigning points accordingly to determine the final outcome.