Goa, Oct. 26 -- The race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has narrowed to a compelling contest involving Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, with the winner set to be announced at a ceremony in London on Monday.

Yamal, Mbappe and Kane have emerged as the leading contenders for football's most prestigious individual award, although Lionel Messi remains in contention for a potential record-extending ninth triumph.

According to predictions released by French data analysis and artificial intelligence firm Avisia, Yamal is the favourite, with a 23 per cent probability of winning. Kane follows closely at 21 per cent, while Mbappe and 2024 winner Rodri have been assigned a 19 per cent chance each. Mess...