Harry Kane Favored to End England's Ballon d'Or Drought

London will host the Ballon d'Or ceremony tonight, where England captain Harry Kane is the favorite to become the first English winner of the men's award since Michael Owen in 2001. The awards, presented by France Football magazine, recognize the best players in Europe from the previous season.

This year's ceremony is being held at the Palladium in London's West End, a symbolic choice honoring the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews, who received his award in Blackpool 70 years ago.

The ceremony will be co-hosted by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and presenter Kate Scott. Henry, a nine-time nominee himself, expressed his connection to London as the reason for the natural fit of hosting the event in the city.

The selection process for both the men's and women's Ballon d'Or involves a shortlist of 30 players, determined by journalists from France Football and L'Equipe. This shortlist is then ranked by a global panel of journalists—100 for the men's award and 50 for the women's—with the combined rankings deciding the winners. Jurors consider individual and collective performances, titles won, and sportsmanship.

Harry Kane is the bookmakers' favorite, having scored 73 goals in 65 games. His performance this past season is noted as being second only to Lionel Messi's 79 goals when Messi won the award in 2012. Despite his strong candidacy, Kane expressed that the uncertainty surrounding the award is stressful for him and his family.

Kylian Mbappe is considered a close second, having impressed at the World Cup. However, a lack of recent silverware for his club and country could impact his chances. Mbappe acknowledged his own high regard for his performance but stated that voters have their own opinions.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is another contender, with the youngest top contender. While he has won major trophies, his individual role in those victories and his goal statistics are noted as potentially less impactful than Kane's. Yamal has argued that the award should recognize the most entertaining player rather than solely the highest scorer.

In the Women's Ballon d'Or, Alexia Putellas is favored to win, potentially ending Aitana Bonmati's streak. Bonmati is out of contention due to a fractured fibula. Putellas, who recently joined the London City Lionesses, had a strong season with 24 goals and 13 assists.

Other awards presented include the Kopa Trophy for best young player, the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, the Gerd Muller Trophy for best striker, and the Johan Cruyff Trophy for best coach. The Club of the Year award for both men and women will also be presented, along with the Socrates Award for humanitarian work.

This year introduces a new, unofficial prize: the BOAT (Ballon d'Or of All Time), where fans can vote for the best past winner from a selection of players who have won the award multiple times. A new prize: the BOAT (Ballon d'Or of All Time) was introduced this year. The organizers emphasize that it is not an official award, but fans can vote on the Ballon d'Or website for a fee, with a chance to win tickets to next year's ceremony.

The ceremony can be watched for free on DAZN for UK viewers, with live updates also available on the Ballon d'Or's official website.