After Spain’s triumph over Argentina in the World Cup final, the competition for football’s top individual honor is intensifying.

Lamine Yamal and Rodri, both pivotal in Spain’s campaign, lead the charge, giving their national team an advantage after securing the sport’s most prestigious team prize.

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However, they face strong competition from other notable players, including Lionel Messi. At 39, Messi led Argentina to a second consecutive final but narrowly lost the Golden Ball award to Rodri at FIFA’s post-match ceremony. The reigning Ballon d’Or holder, Ousmane Dembele, remains a contender too, having won back-to-back Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain. However, Independent’s Miguel Delaney suggested that Yamal should have claimed the award.

Harry Kane is also in the mix, enjoying a standout summer with England, scoring six goals and becoming the country’s all-time leading scorer in the World Cup.

Here are the contenders and latest odds for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, with the ceremony slated for London on 26 October:

Ballon D’or 2026 odds

Harry Kane: 13/8

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Lamine Yamal: 9/4

Lionel Messi: 11/4

Kylian Mbappe: 7/2

Rodri: 9/2

Ousmane Dembele: 14/1

Jude Bellingham: 14/1

Michael Olise: 20/1

Erling Haaland: 22/1

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: 28/1

Declan Rice: 28/1

Vitinha: 28/1

Fabian Ruiz: 33/1

Vinicius Jr.: 40/1

Bruno Fernandes: 50/1

Desire Doue: 50/1

Odds via Betfair