Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Football, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Ballon d'Or
Ben McAleer
Topics: Football, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Ballon d'Or
Punters are already looking ahead to the 2026 Ballon d’Or with two clear favourites emerging in the race to land the individual accolade.
Ousmane Dembele won the award earlier this week, pipping Lamine Yamal to top spot, though the Barcelona teenager did claim the Kopa Trophy as the best youngster in the world.
Even after missing out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Yamal was still in good spirits as he bought burgers for the hungry Barcelona contingent in Paris at midnight.
Dembele’s success, though, didn’t go down well with everyone, with Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, of the opinion that the Frenchman didn’t deserve to pip the Spaniard to the individual gong.
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“I think this is the greatest harm, I wouldn't say theft, but moral harm caused to a human being, because I believe that Lamine Yamal is by far the best player in the world, and by far the one who makes a lot of difference,” he told El Chiringuito.
“Not because he's my son, but because he's the best player in the world. I think there is no rival, Lamine Yamal is Lamine Yamal. It must be said that something very strange has happened here. Greetings to all of Spain, and next year it will be a Spanish ball.”
Yamal’s father will hope to celebrate his son’s success this time next year and the odds suggest the Barcelona star will go one step further in 12 months' time.
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Yamal is currently the bookies’ favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or and is available at a best price of 4/1 with BetVictor via oddschecker.
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe is at 6/1, while Dembele is at 14/1 to defend his award next year.
Based on the bookmakers' odds, it’s implied that Yamal has an 18% chance of winning the Ballon d’Or next year, while Mbappe has a 17% chance of pipping the Spain star to the accolade.
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Dembele has a 5% probability of defending his 2025 success, while Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Jude Bellingham are all given a 4% likelihood of succeeding in Paris next year.
What’s notable, too, is that legendary pair Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have a 3% and 2% chance, respectively, of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, though both of those figures will rise should Argentina or Portugal win the World Cup in America next year.
Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or wins with eight, while Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, has the most nominations to his name, with 18.
As things stand, though, it’s Yamal and Mbappe who are the clear early favourites to secure individual glory in 2026.