Lamine Yamal faces anxious Ballon d’Or wait as Barcelona sense Kane is in front

London hosts the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday evening, with Barcelona reportedly fearing that their teenage star Lamine Yamal will not win football’s most prestigious individual award.

Cadena SER reports that there is a feeling within Barcelona that Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is the leading candidate, although the final decision has not yet been made and the identity of the winner remains unknown.

The view inside the club does not amount to confirmation of the result. Yamal remains in contention, and the winner will only be known when the official announcement is made at the ceremony.

The 70th Ballon d’Or presentation will take place at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October 2026. It is the first time the event has been staged in London and coincides with the 70th anniversary of the award, which was launched in 1956.

Three leading names dominate the men’s contest: Yamal of Barcelona, Kane of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.

Kane goes into the vote with his goalscoring figures and domestic trophies with Bayern Munich strengthening his case. Yamal’s claim is built on his influence for Barcelona and Spain, while Mbappe has impressive scoring numbers despite ending the season without silverware at Real Madrid.

The award carries particular significance for Yamal after he finished runner-up in the previous edition. He was beaten by France international Ousmane Dembele, who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Yamal is also aiming to become the youngest player ever to win the prize. Kane, meanwhile, would become the first Englishman to receive the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

The ceremony will be held as Barcelona’s domestic campaign continues. The accompanying fixture listings show Barcelona scheduled to face Deportivo Alaves in La Liga on 31 October 2026. They also list Racing Santander and Real Madrid in La Liga on 01 November 2026.

Despite the indications being discussed in Barcelona, no outcome can be treated as certain before the official announcement in London. The club’s unease reflects only the current sense around the vote, rather than a confirmed decision by the organisers.