Kane chases England's first Ballon d'Or win since Owen in 2001

Harry Kane goes into Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony as the odds-on favourite to win the men's award, according to Sky Sports Football, in what is shaping up to be one of the closest votes in years.

A victory for the Bayern Munich and England forward would end a 25-year wait for an English winner, with Michael Owen the last to claim the prize in 2001 following Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan, Yahoo Sports reports.

The ceremony is being staged in London for the first time, 70 years after Matthews was presented with the inaugural Ballon d'Or in the same city.

Guardian Football's Jonathan Wilson frames that link directly, noting Matthews was honoured in 1956 for his force of individual will, the very quality he identifies as the trait that makes Kane the standout candidate this year.

Kane's case rests on a remarkable season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, helping Bayern to a league and cup double under Vincent Kompany.

Set against that is the manner in which the campaign ended, with semi-final exits in both the Champions League and the World Cup in the United States leaving his claim short of a complete sweep of major honours.

"I'd love to be able to achieve something like that. It would be a massive milestone in my career," Kane said, before adding of the pressure on his family: "I think my wife would prefer to know and my family... it's very stressful for everyone."

Kompany praised his forward's focus on collective success over individual reward, saying: "What made Harry happy the most in recent years is that he finally won his first team trophies here."

"Now if he can crown his career or his season with the Ballon d'Or, that would be deserved for the way he plays for the team," the Bayern coach added.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who finished runner-up to Ousmane Dembele last year, remains a leading rival despite a hamstring injury that curtailed his club season and a World Cup final in which Spain's triumph was built more on teamwork than individual brilliance from the 19-year-old.

Yamal has made his own view plain, saying: "For me, Mbappe and me, we're the two best players in the world," and continuing: "I honestly think that, as the best in the world, maybe there are two of us, and this year I would deserve it because of what I've won."

Kylian Mbappe arrives with statistics rather than silverware, having finished as top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup without lifting any of those trophies for Real Madrid or France.

His 10 goals at the World Cup in North America took him to 22 for his career in the tournament, making him the competition's all-time leading scorer.

"Being the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, overtaking all the great legends in the history of the sport in the most important tournament there is, is something that really stands out," Mbappe said, before naming his own pick for the award: "Who am I voting for? Myself."

In the women's competition, Alexia Putellas is the clear favourite to win for a third time, with Aitana Bonmati's three-year hold on the award expected to end after an injury-hit campaign, Yahoo Sports reports.

The Ballon d'Or, established by France Football magazine and first awarded to Matthews in 1956, is decided by one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in FIFA's rankings, who vote for their top 10 players from a 30-man shortlist.

There is no cash prize attached, but a win is known to generate significant commercial bonuses and a lasting boost to a player's market value.

The winners of both the men's and women's awards will be confirmed at the London Palladium on Monday evening.