According to a report by Daily Post on Friday, October 23, 2026, Manchester United legends Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs have shared their predictions concerning the three players they believe will occupy the highest positions in the 2026 Ballon d'Or rankings.

The prestigious football award ceremony is expected to take place in London on Monday, with several outstanding players competing for one of the most respected individual honours in world football.

Among the prominent names being discussed ahead of the ceremony are Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, England international Jude Bellingham and French winger Michael Olise.

However, Ferdinand and Giggs have expressed different opinions regarding the player who deserves to emerge victorious.

Giggs has backed Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal to win the prestigious award ahead of his competitors. The former Wales international believes the Spanish youngster has done enough to secure the highest position in the final rankings.

He also selected Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappé to finish second, while England midfielder Jude Bellingham occupies the third position in his prediction.

His selections indicate considerable confidence in the abilities of younger footballers who have established themselves among the biggest names in European football.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand has taken a different approach by choosing Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as his preferred candidate for the award.

The former England defender believes Kane should finish ahead of the other contenders, while Mbappé deserves second place in the final standings.

Ferdinand completed his predicted top three by selecting Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, whose performances have attracted considerable attention.

Interestingly, Ferdinand excluded Barcelona's Yamal and Real Madrid's Bellingham from his preferred three players, despite their inclusion in Giggs' predictions.

Although the two Manchester United legends disagree over the eventual winner, they share the same opinion concerning Mbappé, with both predicting that the French international will finish second.

Their contrasting selections have added another interesting dimension to discussions surrounding the prestigious individual award.

With the voting process reportedly completed and the results being kept confidential, football supporters will have to wait until the official presentation to discover which players eventually occupy the leading positions.

The ceremony will ultimately determine whether Ferdinand's confidence in Kane or Giggs' support for Yamal proves accurate, as the football world awaits the announcement of the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner.