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Ballon d’Or power rankings: Rodri, Messi, Harry Kane among favorites to win soccer's MVP after 2026 World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Ballon d'Or remains a highly anticipated event each year, widely considered the most coveted individual award across the entire landscape of football.
Set to be handed out sometime in October, the Ballon d'Or recognizes the best player in world football across the previous season. It is known as the pinnacle of individual football achievement, and it's a the dream of every top player in the world to be honored at the ceremony each year.
Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or for leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first-ever European title. With PSG now having won back-to-back European titles, their players are certainly amongst the leading contenders for this year's award as well.
However, the results of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have an enormous impact on the trophy voting as well, as the adjudication period runs from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026. In essence, it covers the 2025/26 club football season plus the entirety of the recent World Cup.
The field is considered to be wide open, as those who triumphed across the club season were not necessarily the same as those who starred at the World Cup, leaving voters to decide which accomplishments are most important.
The Sporting News takes a detailed look at who leads the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or award and who could be in the mix now that the judgment period is essentially concluded.
MORE:Rodri's brilliance comes in stark contrast to 2026 FIFA World Cup narrative
10) Bruno Fernandes (CM, Manchester United)
It's highly unlikely that a player without European football could win this award, but Bruno Fernandes deserves a place on the list after his exceptional Premier League season.
Fernandes set the Premier League single-season record for assists, and he deserved the mark, as his 137 chances created over the course of the campaign were over 50 more than any other player in the English top flight. It was an outrageous season-long performance from Fernandes which returned Man United to Champions League qualification, but he did so while navigating the fewest fixtures in a United season since the 1910's.
In order for Fernandes to be in true contention for this award, he would have likely had to win the World Cup with Portugal, but they did the opposite, disappointing massively with a huge flop in North America. His incredible Premier League season should carry weight, but it's not nearly enough.
Bruno Fernandes stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 35 | 9 | 21 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| FIFA World Cup | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 42 | 9 | 23 |
- Why Fernandes could win the Ballon d'Or: Record-breaking Premier League season
- Why Fernandes might not win the Ballon d'Or: No European football, poor World Cup
9) Erling Haaland (CF, Man City)
There is always a place for the Premier League Golden Boot winner on this list, as the player with the most goals in the most visible — and deepest — league in the world is always a top-performing individual.
Yet even after a sensational World Cup, which captivated hearts and minds and increased his popularity by multiple degrees, Erling Haaland's candidacy for the 2026 Ballon d'Or is on life support. While the Norwegian began the club season on fire, scoring 14 goals in his first 11 Premier League matches, his output fell off a cliff through the second half. From Jan. 1 to April 12, he had scored just three goals from open play in all competitions. By the time he recovered his form with five goals in his last seven games, Man City had already fallen behind in the league title race.
Man City's early exit from the Champions League added to the negativity around Haaland. Even with his brilliance at the World Cup, where he seemingly single-handedly carried Norway to their best-ever performance at a FIFA tournament, it's hard to get past his second-half swoon at the club level.
MORE:A look at the top goal scorers in the 2025/26 Champions League tournament
Erling Haaland stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 35 | 27 | 8 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| EFL Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 52 | 38 | 9 |
- Why Haaland could win the Ballon d'Or: Great World Cup, won Premier League Golden Boot
- Why Haaland might not win the Ballon d'Or: Fell short of winning Premier League and Champions League titles, extremely poor second half of the season.
8) Jude Bellingham (CM, Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham has been a top-three midfielder in the world for nearly half a decade now, able to handle any task asked of him. From chance creation to defensive contribution to possession dominance, Bellingham has every tool in his locker.
Unfortunately, it hasn't quite panned out over the past two years at Real Madrid, as he has been unable to recapture the heights of his first season at the club. Last season had its ebbs and flows, with Bellingham playing in a deeper role under Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, which muted his goal contribution output.
Yet what Bellingham accomplished at the World Cup reestablished his star power to exorbitant levels. His performance at the Azteca against Mexico will go down in England lore, and his position as the third-highest goal scorer at the tournament is remarkable, considering all the other things he is asked to do in midfield.
Bellingham won't win the trophy, but he should absolutely get consideration.
Jude Bellingham stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| La Liga | 28 | 6 | 4 |
| Copa del Rey | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| FIFA World Cup | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 48 | 15 | 6 |
- Why Bellingham could win the Ballon d'Or: Great World Cup performance, good name recognition
- Why Bellingham might not win the Ballon d'Or: Lack of major trophies or titles won
7) Declan Rice (CM, Arsenal)
While criticism runs amok over how Arsenal have played throughout this season, there is one player who has remained largely immune to the larger tactical narrative: Declan Rice.
Back in January, the superstar midfielder became the fifth-youngest player to reach 300 Premier League appearances, and consistency is the name of his game. Rice has excelled at everything a No. 8 is asked to do, which is a lot. He is near the top of the Premier League in accurate passes (98th percentile for central midfielders), final-third passes (98th), shot assists (98th), crossing accuracy (97th), long balls (96th), tackles (88th), interceptions (90th), ball recoveries (96th), clearances (97th), blocks (91st), aerial duels (92nd), and shots (85th), according to ScoutingStats. What more do you want?
Being a midfielder who doesn't rely solely on statistical production for global accolades, a possible Ballon d'Or win for Rice almost certainly ended with England falling in the semifinals of the World Cup this summer. However, reaching the Champions League final alongside his Premier League accomplishments should put him in a great position to win awards, especially considering he played half the club season and the World Cup in significant pain caused by his nerve injury.
Even if Rice is unlikely to win simply because of his position and lack of flashy production, he should finish among the top vote-getters regardless for his exceptional season.
Declan Rice stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 36 | 4 | 7 |
| EFL Cup | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| UEFA Champions League | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| FIFA World Cup | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 61 | 6 | 13 |
- Why Rice could win the Ballon d'Or: Exceptional Premier League season, strong performance at World Cup
- Why Rice might not win the Ballon d'Or: Fell short for major trophies other than Premier League title
6) Lamine Yamal (RW, Barcelona/Spain)
MORE:Lamine Yamal is the most "next Messi" player we've ever seen
At present, nobody's star power is greater than that of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, who has the world of football at his feet.
While he does not yet produce the kind of flashy goal-scoring numbers that either Mbappé or Kane are logging, that has not mattered. Despite putting up just 18 goals and 25 assists in the 2024-25 season — numbers well behind the others in contention, including his teammate Raphinha — he finished second in the voting as the world was captivated by his story.
His star continues to shine brighter this season, as he is on pace to eclipse last year's numbers while leading Barcelona to new heights. The Blaugrana sit atop the La Liga table and were well in contention for the Champions League title ... until suddenly the European campaign went belly-up against Atlético Madrid.
Lamine was in firm control of the Ballon d'Or race early on, but with Barcelona bowing out of the Champions League earlier than expected, his candidacy seemingly fully relied on Spain's performance in the United States at the World Cup. Then, something awkward happened: Lamine Yamal won the World Cup title with Spain, but his star power fell massively short of expectations. So was lifting the trophy enough to put him over the edge? Probably not. He just doesn't have the sheer statistical pop in the goals and assists department to make the case.
Lamine Yamal stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| La Liga | 28 | 16 | 12 |
| Copa del Rey | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| FIFA World Cup | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 53 | 25 | 19 |
- Why Lamine Yamal could win the Ballon d'Or: World Cup title, extremely well-liked around the world, budding superstar
- Why Lamine Yamal might not win the Ballon d'Or: Unimpressive at World Cup, goal and assist numbers dwarfed by others.
5) Kylian Mbappe (CF, Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappe has been the world's best forward for a number of years now, and sooner or later it should translate into a Ballon d'Or. Yet to this point, the French superstar has been unable to secure the major trophy necessary to justify all of his individual success. So far, Mbappe has not managed to compile a complete season-long resume, one with both individual stardom and team success.
MORE:Explaining the Kylian Mbappe "dictator" memes
At the close of March, that all seemed like it was still in front of him. Back from injury, Mbappe was chasing Cristiano Ronaldo's single-season Champions League goal-scoring record, all while leading the La Liga scoring charts as Real Madrid went back-and-forth with Barcelona atop the standings. Considering France were one of the top contenders for the World Cup later this summer, it was all on the table for Mbappe.
Then, it all came crashing down in April. First, Madrid slipped quickly out of the La Liga title race as Barcelona took command, and then both Spanish giants were eliminated from the Champions League in the quarterfinals. The abysmal public image of Mbappe's Madrid — after the damaging locker room reports through the end of the season — likely means a Ballon d'Or was out of the question for Mbappe unless he led France to another World Cup title, which itself fell apart at the final four.
Kylian Mbappe stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| La Liga | 31 | 25 | 5 |
| Copa del Rey | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 11 | 15 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 44 | 42 | 7 |
- Why Mbappe could win the Ballon d'Or: World Cup Golden Boot, exceptional individual season
- Why Mbappe might not win the Ballon d'Or: Didn't win a single major trophy, hostile relationship with Real Madrid
4) Michael Olise (RW, Bayern Munich/France)
After being under-appreciated throughout a stellar first season with Bayern Munich, Michael Olise finally became a talking point across the European narrative in the 2025/26 season.
Nobody in Europe was more explosive creating chances in the attacking third for teammates, as he led the continent in assists across all competitions throughout the top five leagues while also scoring a healthy amount of his own. Olise led the entire Champions League field in expected assists, and also had the most carries that end with a shot of any player. Domestically, Olise tied Thomas Muller's Bundesliga record of 21 in a single campaign, while banging in 15 goals of his own as well.
Olise finally got the worldwide attention he deserved with a starring role across the two Champions League quarterfinal legs against Real Madrid, but after scoring in the wild first leg of the their semifinal matchup against PSG, his disappearance in the second leg as Bayern collapsed at home was damaging to his candidacy.
With France looking unbeatable at the World Cup, and Olise at the heart of it, he seemed destined to be amongst the top candidates, setting a record for assists in a single tournament with seven, passing the legendary Diego Maradona in the process. But when Les Bleus were smothered by eventual champions Spain in the semifinals, and then Olise missed a few guilt-edged chances against England in the third-place match, his candidacy surely came to an end.
Michael Olise stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Bundesliga | 32 | 15 | 21 |
| DFB-Pokal | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| DFL-Supercup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 13 | 5 | 7 |
| FIFA World Cup | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| TOTAL | 60 | 22 | 38 |
- Why Olise could win the Ballon d'Or: Brilliant World Cup performance, massive goal contribution totals
- Why Olise might not win the Ballon d'Or: No major trophies besides Bundesliga title
3) Lionel Messi (RW, Inter Miami/Argentina)
Lionel Messi has been sensational for Inter Miami to begin the 2026 MLS season, a year after leading the Herons to their first-ever MLS title in December of 2025. Yet that wouldn't even remotely register on the Ballon d'Or radar without yet another superstar performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he fell just short of the title.
Had Messi finished the deal, he probably would have been a shoo-in for an unthinkable ninth Ballon d'Or at 39 years old. However, Messi went invisible in the final against Spain, and thus the chance for an MLS player to win a Ballon d'Or may have gone.
Still, the official Ballon d'Or account confirmed that players contracted to clubs outside of Europe are indeed eligible for the award, which we knew already, making the timing of their post the day after the World Cup final curious indeed. Could he still win despite what happened at MetLife Stadium this summer?
Lionel Messi stats 2025/26*
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Major League Soccer | 30 | 29 | 22 |
| Leagues Cup | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| FIFA World Cup | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 43 | 40 | 26 |
* Includes games from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026
- Why Messi could win the Ballon d'Or: Brilliant World Cup performance
- Why Messi might not win the Ballon d'Or: Plays in MLS, disappeared in World Cup final, flopped in CONCACAF Champions Cup
2) Harry Kane (CF, Bayern Munich/England)
Now 32 years old, Kane has flourished at Bayern Munich. He finally broke his trophy drought last season by winning the Bundesliga title and has somehow managed to hit an even higher gear in 2025/26.
Bayern pummeled the competition this season, winning 22 of their first 27 league games and ultimately falling just five goals short of Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga record of 41, set in 2020/21, the season many believe the Polish star should have won the Ballon d'Or had it not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he led a Bayern attack that shattered the single-season Bundesliga goal-scoring record, breaking the previous mark of 100 with seven matches still to be played.
Yet for Kane, everything came down to the Champions League and the World Cup, falling in the semifinals on both occasions. Given that Bundesliga performances rarely sway voters much due to the league's reputation as an attack-heavy competition, he likely needed one, maybe both, of those titles to make a serious case for the award.
With an outlandish 67 goals across all competitions, it was Kane's trophy to lose coming into the World Cup, but his disappearing act against Argentina and subsequent no-show against France, as he was rested on the bench, likely leaves him just slightly short.
Harry Kane stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Bundesliga | 31 | 36 | 5 |
| DFB-Pokal | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| DFL-Supercup | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 13 | 14 | 2 |
| FIFA World Cup | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 58 | 67 | 8 |
- Why Kane could win the Ballon d'Or: Goals, semifinals of both Champions League & World Cup
- Why Kane might not win the Ballon d'Or: Lack of major trophies
1) Rodri (CM, Man City/Spain)
Before the World Cup, Rodri will have been nowhere near any Ballon d'Or shortlist, but after Spain lifted the trophy and the 30-year-old was presented with the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, there are no better options.
With the pedigree of having won a Ballon d'Or previously, and the lack of another clear-cut option, Rodri is a fantastic choice to win the award. His club season was quite underrated, even as he worked back from his ACL injury and didn't seem quite at his best just yet.
But, as Pep Guardiola predicted, the 30-year-old proved the most important player in the World Cup winning side, an honor which nobody else on this list can claim. Even as Man City "only" finished the season by winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup titles. Once the World Cup came around, however, Rodri reverted to the player we all saw during his last Ballon d'Or season, and in the end, his resume remains the most all-encompassing.
Rodri stats 2025/26
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| EFL Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| FIFA World Cup | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 41 | 2 | 0 |
- Why Rodri could win the Ballon d'Or: Brilliant World Cup performance
- Why Rodri might not win the Ballon d'Or: Spent most of the club season working back from injury, lack of major trophies
Ballon d'Or honorable mentions
While the above individuals make up the 10 most deserving players as the season currently stands, there are still a number who could potentially make a run at the award or finish high on the list of deserving contenders.
Last year's winner Ousmane Dembele is a notable absentee from this list, as he has not been able to match his winning form of last season as he shares more of the attacking load with fellow PSG stars like Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. A starring role down the stretch of the Champions League campaign briefly revived his candidacy, but he was not the headline attraction for PSG's second consecutive European title, and he was overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise as France reached the semifinals of the World Cup.
While Raphinhawas massively disrespected at the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards, he has regressed somewhat this season with Lamine Yamal's star power consuming the Barcelona front line, and an injury at the World Cup rendered him unable to help Brazil avoid an early exit.
It remains difficult for defenders to not only crack this list but be considered for the award itself, but there are a few others besides Gabriel who are having world-class seasons and deserve mentioning. Achraf Hakimi is still the best full-back in the world, while Gabriel's Arsenal partner William Saliba is also a top contender for mention as he played extremely well at the World Cup until his back injury flared up.
Real Madrid's tough season have sunk many of their contenders. Vinicius Jr. is miles from a spot on this list, even after a strong start to the World Cup, while Federico Valverde scuppered an exceptional season after his dressing room scuffle with Aurelien Tchouanmeni.
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