- 1 Ballon d’Or Betting Odds 2026
- 2 Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees
- 3 Ballon d’Or 2026: Our Top 5 Favourites
- 4 Who Won the Previous Ballon d’Or?
- 5 Who Has Won The Most Ballon d’Or Awards?
- 6 How To Bet on Ballon d’Or in 2026
- 7 Ballon d’Or Best Betting Offers & Sites
- 8 Origins of Ballon d’Or
- 9 When Is Ballon d’Or 2026 Celebrated?
- 10 Ballon d’Or 2026 Venue
- 11 Ballon d’Or FAQs
Ballon d’Or Betting Odds 2026
Check out the latest Ballon d’Or winner betting odds from the best football betting sites.
| Player | Date and Time Verified | Date Market Closes | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
1.29
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Lamine Yamal | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
3.50
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Kylian Mbappé | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
1003
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Lionel Messi | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
26.10
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| Rodri | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
51
€1500 + €200 Freebet
€1500
|
| Michael Olise | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
67
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
67
150% up to €1000 + 10 Free Bets
€1000
|
| Ousmane Dembélé | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
100
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| Fabian Ruiz | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
101
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Jude Bellingham | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
101
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Vitinha | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
152
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Eriling Haaland | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
152
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Vinícius Júnior | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
200
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Declan Rice | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
200
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| Pau Cubarsí | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
200
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| João Neves | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
250
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Ferran Torres | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
250
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Gabriel | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
352
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Achraf Hakimi | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
352
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Lautaro Martínez | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
352
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Bruno Fernandez | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
352
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Marc Cucurella | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 26/10/2026 |
352
100% up to 1 BTC
1 BTC
|
| Marquinhos | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
500
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| Nuno Mendes | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
500
100% of Your 1st Bet Back
1st Bet Back
|
| Luis Díaz | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
500
120% up to €600
€600
|
| William Saliba | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
500
120% up to €600
€600
|
| Dayot Upamecano | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
500
150% up to €1000 + 10 Free Bets
€1000
|
| Sadio Mané | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
750
150% up to €1000 + 10 Free Bets
€1000
|
| William Pacho | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
1000
€1500 + €200 Freebet
€1500
|
| Julián Quiñones | 23/10/2026 17:30 BST | 25/10/2026 |
1000
120% up to €600
€600
|
Odds correct at 15:15 BST on 5 October 2026. Odds subject to change.
Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees
There are 30 Ballon d’Or nominees. These are the names you need to consider for your Ballon d’Or betting.
Runner-up last year Lamine Yamal was the early favourite. Should the Barcelona and Spain star win then he will become the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner.
Harry Kane’s goals and performances for club and country have put him in the world-class bracket for years. Now he has started to add domestic honours to his CV at Bayern Munich the England captain is a genuine contender and the current favourite.
Once again Kylian Mbappé’s individual performances have reinforced his position as one of the best players in the world. The Real Madrid star placed third in 2023 while with PSG and is in the mix again this year.
Lionel Messi is many people’s pick as the best footballer of all time. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is undoubtedly up there with the greatest to have played the sport, and it is testament to his longevity that he cannot be ignored.
Exciting winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia consistently produces goals and assists. The PSG star is considered to be one of the best Georgian players of all time.
-
Fabián Ruiz
-
Jude Bellingham
-
Michael Olise
-
Erling Haaland
-
Vitinha
-
Vinícius Júnior
-
Declan Rice
-
Pau Cubarsí
-
Ferran Torres
-
João Neves
-
Bruno Fernandes
-
Achraf Hakimi
-
Lautaro Martínez
-
Marc Cucurella
-
Gabriel
-
Marquinhos
-
Nuno Mendes
-
Luis Díaz
-
William Saliba
-
Dayot Upamecano
-
Sadio Mané
-
William Pacho
-
Julián Quiñones
Ballon d’Or 2026: Our Top 5 Favourites
While there are 30 candidates available for Ballon d’Or betting, the winner is very likely to come from a select group who have ticked many of the boxes that have historically helped secure the award. We have provided a brief analysis of the bookies’ current Ballon d’Or favourites.
1. Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal is one of the favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. At the age of 19 he will become the youngest ever winner should he land the award. Yamal played a starring role in Barcelona’s title win. The Catalan club exited the Champions League, a competition which has a huge bearing on this award, in the quarterfinals, however, Yamal had already posted a number of signature displays. After a late-season injury Yamal returned to fitness in time to play a significant role in Spain’s World Cup triumph. We think that he is justifiably favourite due to his performances at the highest level and the part he has played in trophy success for club and country.
No Expiry Date
2. Harry Kane 2.10 MyStake
Harry Kane has never finished above 10th in the Ballon d’Or despite a consistently high level of performance and a prolific goal return throughout his career. This has mainly been down to a lack of silverware, and the England captain has now won a number of domestic honours with Bayern Munich. Last season was his most productive in terms of goals. Other factors in his favour include his performances for Bayern in the Champions League and his role in England’s third-place finish in the World Cup. While Kane could win history tells us that the panel of judges will favour players involved in a World Cup or Champions League victory ahead of the former Spurs star, no matter how many times he hit the back of the net last season. We think he may make the podium but will not secure the award.
No Expiry Date
3. Kylian Mbappé 17.02 Vave
Despite Real Madrid having a disappointing (by their standards) campaign last season Kylian Mbappé still scored goals. He really hit top gear in the World Cup, taking the Golden Boot with 10 goals. Although favourites France failed to topple Spain in the semi-finals and lost out to England for third place, Mbappé still performed well, however, we think that he is unlikely to win the big prize due to a relative lack of team success compared to other candidates.
No Expiry Date
4. Lionel Messi 21.0 JACK
Lionel Messi proved at the World Cup that at 39 years of age he is still a force to be reckoned with. Messi produced a number of outstanding performances to lead Argentina to the final before Spain ended their defence of the trophy. Had Argentina won the trophy then Messi, who was named the second-best player in the tournament behind Rodri, may have been in line for a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or. However, the man many people consider to be the greatest player in history is currently playing his football in the MLS with Inter Miami. We feel that the judges will favour those plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues so we think that Messi could well miss out.
No Expiry Date
5. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 26 Rolletto
Had this been a non-World Cup year then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s performances for PSG and Georgia may well have secured him the Ballon d’Or. His 10 goals and six assists in the Champions League were a major factor in PSG defending their title and his performances at domestic level were top class. However, with Georgia not qualifying for the World Cup finals Kvaratskhelia did not have the chance to showcase his talent this summer. We feel that the judges may look towards players who made a major contribution at the World Cup as well as in the Champions League and top-tier domestic leagues over Kvaratskhelia.
No Expiry Date
Who Won the Previous Ballon d’Or?
The winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or was Ousmane Dembélé of PSG and France. Check out the Ballon d’Or winners list for the recent awards.
| Year | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2024 | Rodri | Manchester City |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2018 | Luca Modric | Real Madrid |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
Not awarded in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Who Has Won The Most Ballon d’Or Awards?
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times. Cristiano Ronaldo is in second place with five wins.
How To Bet on Ballon d’Or in 2026
Ballon d’Or betting in 2026 is a straightforward process. Once you have chosen your preferred option simply head to our recommended sites, compare the odds and then place your bet. Here is a short guide.
Visit the bookies that currently list the market and compare odds. Remember that some operators will close the market two or three weeks before the ceremony.
Click on football in the sportsbook section of your chosen operator. Go to “International” or “World” in the list of competitions and scroll down to Ballon d’Or.
Click on the odds of your chosen player, enter a stake and click on the betslip to place your bet.
There are some points worth noting when picking your Ballon d’Or winner. The men’s award is decided by an international jury of specialist journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the latest FIFA rankings before the nominee lists are published. Each juror ranks 10 players from the 30 nominees. The selections receive 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively, with the highest overall points total winning the award. The main judging criteria are individual performances, team achievements and class/fair play. Major performances in competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup can therefore strengthen a player’s case, but they are not formal standalone voting criteria.
Ballon d’Or Best Betting Offers & Sites
Check out our list of the best online bookies for Ballon d’Or betting. Should there be any offers related to the Ballon d’Or we will publish them here. For further details on promotions and offers check out our guide to betting promo codes.
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1. MyStake
MyStake, one of the best top betting sites, are a great all-round site for football betting, and they publish their Ballon d’Or betting odds for all 30 candidates promptly. The bookie keeps the betting open until three weeks before the ceremony, which is longer than some of their rivals. Known for their competitive odds, consistently under 106% on the overround, MyStake offer long odds for the less fancied candidates.
2. Vave
If you are looking for a last-minute bet on the Ballon d’Or winner, then Vave might be your best choice. The market stays open until dawn on the day of the ceremony. The bookie are also prompt in releasing the odds and in keeping them updated.
3. JACK
JACK are another bookie who keep their Ballon d’Or market open until three weeks before the ceremony, which sets them apart from some operators who close bets with four weeks remaining. JACK performs really well on mobile devices so they are a great operator for Ballon d’Or wagers on the move.
Origins of Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or was created by the French football magazine France Football in 1956 by sportswriters Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran. The award is for the player who has been judged to have performed to the highest level over the previous season. It became known as the European Footballer of the Year award because it was only open to players from Europe. Subsequently the award has been expanded, firstly in 1995 to include all players at European clubs and then again in 2007 when it became a worldwide award for professional footballers.
When Is Ballon d’Or 2026 Celebrated?
The Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony date is Monday 26 October.
Ballon d’Or 2026 Venue
The 2026 ceremony will take place outside Paris for the first time, at the London Palladium.
Ballon d’Or FAQs
The latest Ballon d’Or betting odds for 2026 are featured in this guide.
The current favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or is Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (1.44 at MyStake).
We have a list of recommended betting sites for Ballon d’Or betting. The best three are MyStake, Vave and JACK.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for the London Palladium on Monday 26 October.
The men’s Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury of specialist journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the latest FIFA rankings before the nominee lists are published. Each juror ranks 10 players from the 30 nominees, awarding 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively. The player with the highest points total wins.