2026 Ballon d’Or: Troy Deeney Tips Lamine Yamal to Beat Harry Kane to Award

Former Watford captain Troy Deeney has backed Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane.

Deeney believes Yamal is the favourite to claim football’s prestigious individual award, which is scheduled to be presented in London on Monday.

Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, the former England striker praised Kane’s performances but suggested that major tournament success could influence the final voting outcome.

“For me, in all seriousness, Harry Kane has been fantastic, unbelievable,” Deeney said.

He compared the current race to the 2024 Ballon d’Or contest involving Vinicius Junior and Rodri, arguing that the voting appeared to place significant emphasis on team achievements rather than individual statistics alone.

“There were a lot of people who said Vinicius Junior, the best player, great stats, but the way that the voting seems to have gone, seems to be based on what you have won,” he added.

Deeney argued that Yamal’s reported World Cup success should give the Barcelona star an advantage over Kane in the race for the award.

“Lamine Yamal won the World Cup so that should be really what tips him in his favour, I think,” he said.

Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings behind Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who won the award.

The latest prediction adds to the debate over who deserves to be crowned the world’s best footballer in 2026, with Yamal and Kane among the names being discussed ahead of the ceremony.