France, Oct. 26 -- The three are among the 30 men in the running for the sport's most prestigious individual prize.

Since the Blackpool and England winger Stanley Matthews was presented with the inaugural award in 1956 in Blackpool, north-west England, 47 players have been handed the trophy at gala events in France and Switzerland.

As a tribute to Matthews and to celebrate the Ballon d'Or's 70th anniversary, the 2026 awards ceremony will be held in England at the London Palladium.

A victory for London-born Kane would provide a neat historical link to Matthews.

But beyond pure sentimentality, the stats stack up too for Kane.

During the Ballon d'Or judging period between 3 August 2025 and 19 July 2026, Kane scored 73 goals. Kane's reco...