Ballon d'Or 2026: Oliver Kahn, Ballack, others name top three players to win award

Former Germany stars Oliver Kahn, Michael Ballack and Bastian Schweinsteiger have each revealed their predicted top three for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane emerging as the unanimous favourite for the award.

According to BILD, as relayed by @iMiaSanMia, Kahn placed Kane first, followed by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in second and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé in third.

Kahn argued that Kane’s ability to both score decisive goals and lead his team makes him a deserving winner.

The former goalkeeper also noted that Mbappé is a consistent scorer across competitions but did not lift a trophy last season as he hailed Yamal as an excellent player who won the World Cup.

Similarly, Ballack’s top pick mirrored Kahn’s at the top: Kane first, Yamal second, and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise third.

Also, Schweinsteiger backed Kane for first and Yamal for second, but completed his podium with Argentina legend Lionel Messi in third place.