Goa, Oct. 26 -- The race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has intensified ahead of Monday's award ceremony in London, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane emerging as the leading contenders for football's most prestigious individual honour.

The ceremony, scheduled to take place at the London Palladium, marks the first time the Ballon d'Or awards will be held in Britain. While Barcelona winger Yamal and Real Madrid forward Mbappe have attracted considerable attention, Bayern Munich striker Kane has also strengthened his case with an exceptional goal-scoring season.

According to data released by French data analysis and artificial intelligence firm Avisia, Yamal is the favourite, with a 23% probability of winning the award. Kane follow...