Kane favoured for 2026 Ballon d'Or as shortlist revealed; Ronaldo omitted

Kane heads the field after a 73-goal campaign that ranks among his finest seasons, according to Sky Sports. The England captain could make history in October, when the ceremony moves to London for the first time—breaking seven decades of Paris tradition.

Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice join Kane on the shortlist, with Premier League rivals including Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Gabriel and William Saliba also nominated. Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé emerge as likely challengers.

Ronaldo's omission is notable, despite steering Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title. The Portuguese veteran does not feature in a 30-player list compiled by France Football and L'Équipe journalists.

Women's nominees include England duo Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood from a 30-strong shortlist.

Voting follows a set framework: one journalist per top-100 FIFA-ranked nation each votes for their top ten players, awarding points on a 15-to-1 scale. Tiebreakers favour those with the most first-place votes, then second-places, cascading downward. Women's voters are drawn from the top 50 nations only.

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony runs on 26 October 2026.