by on March 28, 2026
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In what is worldwide football's night of nights - Paris Saint-Germain superstar Ousmane Dembele was crowned the Ballon d'Or winner.

In doing so, Dembele ended up being simply the second PSG gamer and the sixth Frenchman to win the prominent individual award.

He claimed the prize ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and fellow PSG teammate Vitinha - who finished second and 3rd respectively.

Dembele played a substantial function in PSG's success last season - with 36 goals and 15 assists throughout all competitions en route a treble, including a Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.

However - it was their Champions League victory in May that showed the most significant, as it marked the very first time PSG have actually won the European trophy.

And they did so in design - with Dembele and Co thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the last at Munich's Allianz Arena.

With the 2025 Ballon d'Or now done and dusted - attention turns to who will be crowned the winner in 2026.

Therefore, let's take a look at who are the early favourites to declare the award next year according to Sky Bet.

Who are the favourites to claim the 2026 Ballon d'Or award? Sky Bet odds exposed

Lamine Yamal

Arguably one of the best teenage footballers in history - Barcelona superstar Yamal has opened as the best-backed with Sky Bet at 5/2 to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Yamal had a remarkable 2024-25 season en path to runner-up in the Ballon d'Or - with the 18-year-old netting 18 goals and signing up 25 assists across all competitors.

His contribution was vital in helping Barcelona declare a domestic treble - as Hansi Flick's side declared their 28nd league title, 32nd Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Can Yamal develop on his private and team success and end up being the youngest gamer in history to win the Ballon d'Or? He is more than capable of doing so.

Yamal has started his 2025-26 season strong, with the winger recording 5 objective contributions in 3 league games to date.

Kylian Mbappe

Although former PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe had a fantastic first campaign for Real Madrid statistically - of that included 44 objectives and five assists - it didn't lead to silverware.

Real Madrid failed to select up a major trophy in 2024-25 - with Los Blancos ending up second in the league and bailing out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Additionally, they decreased 5-2 and 3-2 at the hands of El Classico rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals respectively.

However, should Mbappe have a comparable output this season and Real Madrid are able to get multiple prizes - do not be shocked if the 26-year-old is a strong competitor for next year's Ballon d'Or award.

He has began his 2025-26 campaign very well - with the winger netting seven goals in six league games so far this season.

With the above in mind, for those preparing for Mbappe to claim his first Ballon d'Or in 2026 - he is a 5/1 second-favourite according to Sky Bet.

Ousmane Dembele

The abovementioned Dembele has actually opened as a third-favourite to declare back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards - with the Frenchman priced at 13/2 chances.

If he were to do so, he would become the eighth player in history to win the award in succeeding seasons.

Dembele has actually had 3 goal contributions in as lots of games in the French top-flight this season.

Vinicius Jr, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane & Erling Haaland

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr., Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, and Manchester City's Erling Haaland complete the five favourites in the market.

Vinicius is a sole fourth-favourite at 8/1, while Salah, Kane and Haaland are joint fifth-favourites at 11/1.

Vinicius has 3 objectives and three assists in 6 league video games in 2025-26, while Salah has had four goal contributions in the English top-flight to date this season.

Additionally, Haaland currently leads the Premier League's goalscoring tally with 6, while Kane has a remarkable 13 objectives and 3 helps in simply seven games for Bayern across all competitors.

Sky Bet favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or:

Lamine Yamal 5/2

Kylian Mbappe 5/1

Ousmane Dembele 13/2

Vinicius Jr. 8/1

Mohamed Salah 11/1

Harry Kane 11/1

Erling Haaland 11/1
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