The Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony will take place at 19:00 on Monday at the London Palladium, with the outcome still difficult to predict as the leading contenders prepare to learn who will receive the award.
Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are among the players regarded as favourites, while Lionel Messi is also included in the field of contenders.
The uncertainty recalls the 2019 award, when Messi finished seven points ahead of Virgil van Dijk. In 1996, Brazilian Ronaldo came even closer to winning the prize, finishing just one point behind Matthias Sammer.
But what would happen if two players ended the voting level?
France Football has published the regulations governing a tie. “In the event of a tie in the vote count, the winner will be determined by the number of mentions in first place. If the tie persists, the winner will be determined by the number of mentions in second place, then by the mentions in third place, and so on.”
The rules mean that the total number of points would not be the only factor considered. The player who receives the most first-place votes would win. If the players remain level on that measure, second-place votes would be used, followed by third-place votes and subsequent rankings until the tie is broken.
With the race appearing finely balanced, the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced at the London Palladium on Monday.