The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is drawing ever closer, as in just under 48 hours' time, the prestigious prizes will be handed out to the globe's finest in London.

The Ballon d'Or returns to England's capital to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural edition - won by Sir Stanley Matthews - and it is only fitting that another Three Lions legend in Harry Kane is the favourite to take home the accolade this time around.

However, England's all-time top scorer faces the stiffest of stiff competition from World Cup winner Lamine Yamal, Champions League Player of the Season Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a still Ballon d'Or-less Kylian Mbappe and, of course, nine-time chasing Lionel Messi.

Ahead of Monday's big reveal, Sports Mole asked AI to predict the full ranking of the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or nominees - see the results below!

Ballon d'Or 2026 rankings: AI backs Harry Kane as Michael Olise surprisingly low

The firm bookies' favourite to become England's first Ballon d'Or winner since Michael Owen a quarter of a century ago, Kane has also been predicted to hoist the Golden Ball aloft by AI.

Despite not leading Bayern Munich to Champions League glory or inspiring England to World Cup stardom, Kane racked up an astronomical 73 goals for club and country in the 2025-26 season, 61 for Bayern and 12 for the Three Lions.

Kane comfortably topped the Bundesliga scoring charts with 36 strikes en route to winning the German top flight for the second year running, while also firing in 14 Champions League goals, second only to Mbappe's 15.

However, the latter has to settle for third place, despite also taking home the La Liga and World Cup Golden Boot, becoming the highest scorer of all time in the men's mundial with 22 strikes to his name.

Sandwiched in between Mbappe and Kane in the AI charts is Barcelona and Spain phenom Yamal, whose lack of individual impact at the World Cup has perhaps fatally harmed his chances of pipping the England skipper to the top prize.

World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri and eight-time winner Messi complete the top five, the latter pushed high up the rankings thanks to his sensational World Cup campaign and everlasting sentimental attachment to the Ballon d'Or.

Last year's winner Ousmane Dembele is down in eighth spot after struggling with a couple of injuries in 2025-26, while Arsenal's Declan Rice is the only current Premier League player to make the top 10 in the AI prediction.

The England midfielder interestingly ranks higher than Michael Olise, despite the ex-Crystal Palace winger producing a ridiculous 53 goal involvements in 52 Bayern matches in 2025-26, as well as seven World Cup assists.

Olise just ranks higher than 13th-placed Jude Bellingham, who along with William Saliba, Marc Cucurella and Achraf Hakimi are all above Erling Haaland in the projection.

UCL Player of the Season Kvaratskhelia - recently ruled out for the season with an ACL injury - is only 19th owing to Georgia's World Cup absence, joining a cluster of Paris Saint-Germain players in the bottom half alongside Joao Neves, Vitinha, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes.

Meanwhile, Mexican World Cup star Julian Quinones props up the table in 30th place, just below Sadio Mane and Bruno Fernandes, whose record Premier League assist numbers fail to make up for Manchester United's trophyless campaign.