The 70th edition of the award will be hosted in England for the first time and fittingly could have a first English winner for 25 years

England captain Harry Kane is the favourite to win a wide-open race to be crowned Ballon d’Or winner at a glitzy London ceremony on Monday, with Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe also in the running to be named the world’s best footballer.

The 70th edition of the award, established by the magazine France Football, will be hosted in England for the first time in recognition of the first winner, Stanley Matthews, and fittingly could have a first English winner for 25 years.

Bayern Munich striker Kane struck a remarkable 73 goals in 65 games for club and country last season, leading the German giants to a league and cup double, and England to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

“I’d love to be able to achieve something like that. It would be a massive milestone in my career,” the 33-year-old said.

But semi-final exits in both the Champions League and World Cup for Kane mean the outcome is far from certain.

“I think my wife and my family would prefer to know … it’s very stressful for everyone,” he added.

“I can see why they don’t tell people. They want everyone to go, all the big names, and there will be more people watching it if they don’t know.”

‘I deserve it’

Yamal finished second to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele last year and the 19-year-old Barcelona superstar seems destined to be a Ballon d’Or winner one day.

However, after a hamstring injury ended his club season early, he was far from the shining light of Spain’s World Cup triumph that was built on being the best collective unit.

Yamal was pipped to both the player and young player of the tournament by his Barcelona teammates Rodri and Pau Cubarsi.

That has not diminished his bullish confidence ahead of the ceremony.

“For me, Mbappe and me, we’re the two best players in the world,” Yamal said last month.

“I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I’ve won.”

Mbappe, by contrast, boasts plenty of personal milestones without medals for either Real Madrid or France.

The 27-year-old was top goalscorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup without winning any of those trophies.

His 10 World Cup goals made him the top goalscorer in the competition’s history on 22.

“Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out,” Mbappe said.

“Who am I voting for? Myself.”

In the match-up between the two La Liga-based Ballon d’Or challengers on Sunday, Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid beat Spanish leaders Barcelona 2-1 in their “clasico” at Camp Nou on Sunday to get back into the title race.

Mbappé struck in each half for Madrid, with a fortunate ricochet in the 41st minute and the winning goal in the 87th after Raphinha had equalised for the Catalan club.

The result ended Barcelona’s bid to become the first team to win their opening 10 La Liga matches. They had matched Real Madrid’s nine victories from nine games in 1968-69.

Madrid stayed in third place but moved within three points of Barcelona. Atletico Madrid are second, two points behind Barcelona.

One football journalist from each of the 100 top nations in Fifa’s rankings is invited to cast votes for their top 10 players from a 30-man shortlist, allocating a maximum of 15 points down to one based on their ranking.

The Ballon d’Or goes to the player who accrued the most points.

Although the award carries no cash prize, it can generate huge bonuses from clubs and commercial partners as well as increasing a player’s overall marketing value.

Alexia Putellas is the front runner to win the women’s award for the third time with Aitana Bonmati’s three-year reign to come to an end after an injury-hit year.

Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022, was part of the Barcelona side that regained the Champions League last season before moving to London City Lionesses.

Her former club teammate, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, is the main challenger to Putellas after she netted 11 Champions League goals in Barca’s latest triumph.