Ballon d'Or 2026: Rafael van der Vaart names player to win award in London
Former Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder, Rafael van der Vaart, has named the player to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The winner of this year's Ballon d'Or will be announced on Monday in London. However, Van der Vaart believes Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé will win the Ballon d'Or because he is the best player by […] Ballon d'Or 2026: Rafael van der Vaart names player to win award in London
On Monday, London will host the 70th Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, marking the first time the British capital has honored the world's top football stars. The prestigious event, organized in collaboration with UEFA since 2024, coincides with the award's 70th anniversary, launched by France Football magazine in 1956. The ceremony will announce the winners of various prizes, including the Best Men's Player, Best Men's Coach, Best Women's Player, Best Women's Coach, and Best Goalkeeper.
Leading the field for the Best Men's Player award are England's Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Declan Rice; Spain's Pau Cubasí, Marc Cucurella, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Ferran Torres, and Fabián Ruiz; France's Ousmane Dembélé; Brazil's Gabriel Magalhães; and Portugal's Bruno Fernandes. The Best Men's Coach award is up for grabs for Spain's Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery, and Vincent Kompany.
The Best Women's Player award is contested by Spain's Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubasí, France's Warren Zaïre-Emery, and the USA's Lily Yohannes.
Written by urgent.news from Ajel English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
