According to a report by Daily Post on Friday, October 23, 2026, former Manchester United stars Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs have made their predictions ahead of the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, revealing the footballers they expect to occupy the first three positions.

The highly anticipated event is scheduled to be held in London on Monday, with some of Europe's most talented players hoping to receive one of football's biggest individual awards.

Several prominent footballers have emerged as contenders for this year's honour, including Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, England midfielder Jude Bellingham and French international Michael Olise.

With the ceremony approaching, Ferdinand and Giggs have offered contrasting opinions about the players who deserve recognition for their performances.

Giggs, who enjoyed a successful playing career at Manchester United, has identified Barcelona's Lamine Yamal as his favourite to emerge victorious.

The former Welsh winger believes the Spanish international will finish ahead of his rivals and claim the prestigious individual prize.

In his prediction, Giggs placed Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé in second position, while Jude Bellingham was selected to complete the top three.

His decision to support Yamal reflects his confidence in the Barcelona youngster, who has established himself as one of the most exciting attacking players in European football.

However, Ferdinand does not share his former teammate's opinion regarding the eventual winner.

The former Manchester United defender has backed England captain Harry Kane to secure the award following his performances for Bayern Munich.

Ferdinand believes the experienced striker deserves to finish first, ahead of several other outstanding candidates.

He also included Mbappé in his prediction, placing the French forward second, while Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise was chosen to occupy third position.

One major difference between their selections is that Ferdinand overlooked both Yamal and Bellingham, despite the two players featuring prominently in Giggs' preferred rankings.

Nevertheless, the former United teammates agreed on one important point, as both believe Mbappé will finish immediately behind the eventual winner.

Their predictions have highlighted the difficult task of choosing between several talented footballers competing for the prestigious honour.

Meanwhile, the voting exercise for the award has reportedly been completed, with the final rankings expected to remain undisclosed until the presentation ceremony.

Football supporters across the world will be watching closely to discover whether Kane, Yamal or another contender eventually receives the highest individual recognition.

The official announcement on Monday will also reveal which of the two Manchester United legends comes closest to predicting the final top three positions.