Modric refuses to name a 2026 Ballon d’Or favourite as ceremony heads to London
Real Madrid legend Luka Modric has declined to name a favourite for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying there are several contenders at Madrid and at other clubs and that the choice belongs to the voters.
France Football has scheduled this year’s ceremony for London on 26 October. Names widely discussed include Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise. Fans, players and analysts have already begun staking out positions. Asked by Diario AS for his own pick, Modric said: “I honestly don’t know.
I prefer not to mention anyone or indicate who deserves it more. The decision lies with the voters. There are numerous candidates from Madrid and other clubs. We will see who prevails; I do not wish to specify names.”
Modric won the award in 2018 after a season in which he helped Real Madrid to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, and led Croatia to the World Cup final, where he took the Golden Ball.
His refusal is a form of discipline. A former winner who still sits close to the Madrid dressing room has little to gain by ranking teammates against rivals. By pointing at “numerous candidates” rather than one name, he treats the Ballon d’Or as a vote, not a coronation announced in August.
Kane’s scoring volume, Mbappé’s club and international output and Olise’s rise will all be on the ballot. Modric’s contribution is to remind the audience that the panel, not a legend’s interview, decides. The London date now gives that panel a fixed night on which to choose.
