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Ballon d’Or 2026 predictions: Yamal, Mbappe and Kane - who will win?
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- The 2026 Ballon d’Or race is a close contest primarily among Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane, with the winner to be announced soon in London.
- AI predictions from Avisia favor Yamal with a 23% chance, followed by Kane at 21%, and Mbappe tied with Rodri at 19%, while bookmakers heavily favor Kane with about a 70% probability.
- Expert opinions are divided: Diego Simeone and Marco Materazzi support Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham backs Kane, Anthony Gordon supports Yamal, and Aurelien Tchouameni endorses Mbappe.
- Mbappe leads in individual stats as top scorer in La Liga and Champions League and holds the World Cup Golden Boot, but lacks major trophies, while Kane won the Bundesliga and Yamal won both the World Cup and La Liga despite injury setbacks.
- Historical trends favor players who win major titles during the year, which strengthens Yamal’s case as he aims to become the youngest Ballon d’Or winner, surpassing Brazilian Ronaldo’s record at age 21.
