Here, our Express Sport writers have picked who we think deserves to be the year's crowning footballer, with Kane receiving some tough love...

Tom Victor - Kylian Mbappe

We have to decide whether we want to view the Ballon d’Or as an individual award or a team one. If we’re going with the former, though, Kylian Mbappe gets my vote.

The French international might not have dragged his country to World Cup glory, but he did all he could, delivering 10 goals and four assists, making him the first player to hit double figures at the tournament since 1970 (albeit from more games).

Couple that with a 42-goal 2025/26 season for a dysfunctional Real Madrid team and there’s an easy case to be made for a player who, if we’re being honest, ought to have won this award before.

Archie Griggs - Lamine Yamal

One of my biggest gripes with the Ballon d'Or is that it seems to go to the player that has won the most trophies, rather than rewarding sheer individual brilliance.

As a result, I expect Lamine Yamal to scoop the prize after securing La Liga glory with Barcelona and winning the World Cup with Spain.

However, that would be an injustice as far as Harry Kane is concerned. He has had the better individual campaign and should win the Ballon d'Or as a result.

He stands out in the numbers column with a staggering 73 goals for club and country, more than any of his fellow nominees. He passes the eye test, too, with his tendency to drop deep to collect the ball, allowing him to create chances as well as putting them away.

Yamal will have plenty more opportunities to win the Ballon d'Or throughout his career, but this could be Kane's only chance. It would be a crying shame if he finishes his career without winning football's biggest individual prize, so why not now?

Jack McEachen - Kylian Mbappe

I truly would love to give Harry Kane the Ballon d'Or on what may be his last chance to win the award.

But without Champions League or World Cup glory, it's hard to hand out this prize to someone solely for scoring a lot of goals in the Bundesliga.

Robert Lewandowski never got the award he deserved and for that same reason, I would go to Spain.

And Kylian Mbappe just gets the nod over Lamine Yamal, purely for his exploits this summer in North America, despite Yamal winning for Spain.

It was an underwhelming tournament for the Barcelona winger, while Mbappe took the Golden Boot and became the competition's all-time top scorer.

It's what you do on the biggest stage that counts.

The question here is 'who has been the best player in the world for the 2025/26 season and ultimately, there is only one answer: Harry Kane. Remember, this is an individual award, so by and large, team achievements render meaningless.

Kane has been operating on a consistent level for club and country that no other candidate can lay claim to. Lamine Yamal wasn't fit for the first part of the World Cup and his performances weren't exactly mind-blowing. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe went missing for most of the club campaign. This award will lose any credibility it has left if Kane isn't crowned winner.