Ballon d’Or 2026: the French have chosen their big favorite

According to an Odoxa poll conducted for RTL and Winamax, Kylian Mbappé is the favorite among the French public to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid forward received 23% of support from French respondents and 24% among football fans. His performance at the World Cup, where he reached the semi-finals and finished as the top scorer, was cited as a major contributing factor.

Among the general French public, Ousmane Dembélé ranked second with 18%, followed by Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise at 11% each. Among football fans specifically, Olise placed second with 16%, Yamal third with 15%, and Dembélé fourth with 12%. The survey also revealed that 37% of football fans consider the World Cup the primary criterion for the award, ahead of the Champions League.