Lamine Yamal has been tipped to win this year’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.That is the verdict of talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings ahead of the awards ceremony later this month.The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced on October 26, with Kane predicted to just miss out on the award by JenningsGettyThe 2026 recipient will be announced at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26.Yamal, Kane and Mbappe are seen to be amongst the frontrunners for the prestigious awards after impressive 2025/26 seasons for their respective clubs and countries.Kane won a third successive Bundesliga golden boot as he fired Bayern Munich to a domestic double in Germany.The England captain ended the season with 61 goals in 51 matches for his club across all competitions.He then went on to score six goals for the Three Lions on their way to a third place finish at the World Cup.Kane failed to score past the round of 16 stage in North America, though, while Yamal went on to lift the trophy.Can Kane win the Ballon d’Or?Jennings believes this will hinder his hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or as he revealed his top three for this year’s ceremony.Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, he was asked whether Kane can win it, explaining: “Listen, I love Harry Kane and you know what, for about a decade I’ve been arguing that Kane deserves a Ballon d’Or almost for cumulative achievements.“He has been at some point in the last 10 years the best footballer in the world and perhaps in the way that Leonardo DiCaprio got the Oscar for The Revenant when it wasn’t his best film, maybe Harry Kane deserves it as a lifetime achievement award, a contribution to football like when Ryan Giggs got Premier League Player of the Year.“I think on some level he deserves it for that Kane, but I don’t think he’s the best footballer in the world at the moment.Kane enjoyed a stellar 2025/26 season for Bayern and England and is one of the leading contenders to win this year’s Ballon d’OrGetty“I think he failed for England. The two goals against DR Congo are doing a lot of heavy lifting in his contribution during the World Cup. Where was he against Norway? Where was he against Argentina when we needed him most?“Didn’t really turn it on in the Champions League for Bayern Munich. I know he scored a last-minute goal, but it really felt like a consolation goal in that semi-final.“I don’t see how you cannot give it to Yamal, to be honest. Mbappe’s form during the World Cup blew my mind, but Yamal has won the World Cup and he has won LaLiga. It’s very difficult to look beyond him.“I think Rodri has an outside shout as well. Rodri is one of the most important footballers to any team in the world.“If I were voting, as much as I love Kane, I don’t think you can give it to him. I think he didn’t deliver when England needed him most. I’d be inclined to give it to Yamal.”Still only 19, Yamal finished as runner-up for last year’s Ballon d’Or behind Ousmane Dembele.Yamal’s World Cup triumph puts him ahead of Kane, according to JenningsGettyThe teenager scored 24 goals as well as providing 18 assists in all competitions for Barcelona last season.His LaLiga title triumph was followed by a World Cup victory with Spain as Yamal scored once and added an assist across eight appearances at the tournament.Who will be the next three Ballon d’Or winners?With Yamal his favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, Jennings has also predicted the next two recipients through to 2028.Asked who will be next to claim the award, he added: “I think Barcelona win the European Cup this year and therefore I think it will be Rodri. I think Rodri will win it again. I think he’s unstoppable.“It’s not a coincidence that everywhere he goes, he’s just so linked to the success both internationally and at club level.“Then I think it will be Jude Bellingham. I think Jude Bellingham will win it, but the next English winner of the Ballon d’Or will be Jude Bellingham.Jennings expects Bellingham to win the Ballon d’Or in 2028 and has also tipped Rodri to win the award for a second timeGetty“What Jude Bellingham did for England at the World Cup, it blew my mind. I went to Mexico, I witnessed it firsthand, I witnessed his desperation to win, I witnessed his leadership qualities.“I witnessed the way that he was the conduit between the fans in the stadium and the players on the pitch.“Bellingham is everything that you want from a footballer. He has that will to win, that desperation, that silk, that skill, that end product.“Jude Bellingham will win a Ballon d’Or and I think it will be in the next two years. I’m going to say it will be in two years after Rodri.”Bellingham will still only be 25-years-old come the 2028 Ballon d’Or ceremony.The midfielder is already into his fourth season with Real Madrid after joining the Spanish giants from Borussia Dortmund in 2024.Bellingham scored seven goals for England at this summer’s World CupGettyHe has since won both a LaLiga title and the Champions League.Bellingham has also scored 14 goals in 60 caps for England at 23, including seven goals at the World Cup to take home the Bronze Boot.Alongside Kane, he is one of three England players nominated for this year’s award, with Declan Rice completing the trio.It is Bellingham who has previously finished on the podium, though, coming third behind Rodri and Vinicius Jr two years ago.He also won the Kopa Trophy in 2023, which is awarded to the best Under-21 player in the world.Bellingham had previously finished as runner-up behind Pedri back in 2021.