Ballon d'Or rankings 2026: Top candidates, potential award winners with Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal favourites

Widely considered the most coveted individual award in football, the Ballon d'Or remains a highly anticipated event each year.

Handed out annually in October to the best player in world football the previous season, the Ballon d'Or is the pinnacle of individual football achievement, and it's a the dream of every top player in the world to be honored at the gala.

After Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or for leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first-ever European title, all the top performers are hoping to register a strong season in their own attempt to hoist the famous trophy.

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 at the end of the season and after the FIFA World Cup to come in the summer.

MORE: A look back at the 2025 Ballon d'Or gala as it happened, and a full list of results

Ballon d'Or rankings 2026: Top candidates, potential award winners

Here are the top 10 players in contention for the Ballon d'Or, ranked by how The Sporting News would hand out the award if the season were to end now.

A reminder that performances and outcome at the 2026 World Cup will be considered when voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, and will go a long way towards determining the eventual winner.

In fact, it will likely be the determining factor, as you will see a consistent theme in the analysis below. With many of the top contenders falling short in the Champions League, it leaves everything to be decided at the FIFA tournament this summer.

Rankings, stats, and assessments updated following the final day of domestic club football on Sunday, May 24.

MORE: A deep dive explaining why Raphinha should have won the 2025 Ballon d'Or

10) 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 Erling Haaland's candidacy for the 2026 Ballon d'Or is on life support. While the Norwegian began the season on fire, scoring 14 goals in his first 11 Premier League matches, the output fell off a cliff through the second half. From January 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 their last seven games, Man City had already fallen behind in the league title race.

While his season-long numbers leave him in contention for now, Man City's early exit from the Champions League has left Haaland with very little opportunity to recover his standing. He will need a strong performance at the World Cup with Norway to have any chance at rising up the standings and winning the award. The game-winning goal against Arsenal in mid-April temporarily revived his conversation, but they could not capitalise, and he needs a big mid-summer FIFA tournament to have a shot.

MORE: A look at the top goal scorers in the 2025/26 Champions League tournament

Erling Haaland stats 2025/26

9) 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 will likely have to win the World Cup with Portugal, but he deserves a place amongst the top 10 as long as they don't disappoint this summer in North America.

Bruno Fernandes stats 2025/26

8) Vitinha (CM, Paris Saint-Germain)

At his very best, Vitinha is undoubtedly one of the three finest midfielders in the world. The 26-year-old's performances down the stretch of the 2024/25 season saw him rocket up the Ballon d'Or list, where he finished an impressive third.

Vitinha is astonishingly press-resistant in possession and can pass as well as anyone around the world, able to unlock opponents anywhere on the pitch. He can also snipe a goal from long range, as he has shown consistently on the European stage this season.

The problem for Vitinha this season, as well as any PSG player, has been their inconsistency in league play. While the Parisians have remained a force in Europe looking to defend their Champions League crown, they looked vulnerable at various points in Ligue 1 action. Yet Luis Enrique effectively battled fixture congestion with heavy rotation in domestic matches, and still finished six points clear at the summit of the standings.

With PSG now confirmed as domestic title winners and back in the Champions League final, it has put all Parisians back int the thick of the Ballon d'Or conversation. If he helms a deep run for Portugal at the World Cup this summer, his candidacy for this award will likely continue moving back upwards, following a top-three finish in 2025.

Vitinha stats 2025/26

7) 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 such a trophy. So far, Mbappe has not managed to compile a complete season-long resume, one with both individual stardom and team success.

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 are 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 is out of the question for Mbappe unless he leads France to another World Cup title, which could reinvigorate his candidacy after another individually productive club season that goes down as a failure on the team level.

Kylian Mbappe stats 2025/26

6) Gabriel Magalhaes (CB, Arsenal)

Regardless of your thoughts on how Arsenal have gone about pushing for trophies this season, there is no denying that Gabriel Magalhaes is at the heart of this season's biggest tactical innovation and narrative.

As Mikel Arteta changes the way top teams view set-pieces as an asset, Gabriel is at the core of his entire tactical approach to the 2025/26 season. Not only is Gabriel the main target on all of Arsenal's dead-ball plays, but he also remains the keystone to Arsenal's defensive setup, which has led the way in their push for titles on multiple fronts.

Simply put, Arsenal have the best defence in all of Europe and the world. It may not be exciting to watch, but Arteta has — as any coach would — put the most weight on the shoulders of his best players: Gabriel and his centre-back partner William Saliba. No defender in the entire world is relied upon more than these two, and they have consistently performed at such a level, in every possible manner: passing, tackling, positioning, transition defending, and even putting their bodies on the line in front of goal.

Add in Gabriel's attacking threat on set-pieces, and he is en route to compiling one of the greatest centre-back club seasons this generation has seen, having secured the Premier League title and now 90 minutes away from a European crown. Anyone without the Brazilian on their Ballon d'Or list this season is simply chasing goals and assists without looking at the whole picture. Yet for him to even have a shot at rising further up the list, he must lead the Selecao back to World Cup glory, which feels like a longshot at this point.

Gabriel stats 2025/26

6) Pedri (CM, Barcelona)

Widely considered the best midfielder in the world — or at the very least top three — Pedri has been at the heart of Barcelona's youthful generation. The 23-year-old has been a star performer in the middle of the pitch, especially when it comes to breaking down opponents, with his passing range considered top among his peers.

Yet it's not just sensational vision with the ball at his feet that makes Pedri such a delightful and productive player. He can also dazzle on the ball himself, dancing past opponents in midfield before picking out teammates in the final third.

This day and age, it's exceedingly hard for a midfielder without a hefty goals or assists total to win the Ballon d'Or, but not impossible. Unfortunately for Pedri, either a World Cup title or a Champions League crown would do him little in this regard, given Lamine Yamal is his teammate on both fronts and would likely gain most of the plaudits in either scenario.

As such, his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or are slim to none, especially with Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals, but his presence near the top of the voting chart would be well deserved.

Pedri stats 2025/26

4) Declan Rice (CM, Arsenal)

While criticism runs amok for 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 starts and ends with England winning a World Cup this summer. Making that difficult for the Arsenal midfielder is the fact he plays on the same team as Harry Kane, who has positioned himself even closer to the top of this list and would likely benefit most from a similar outcome this season, rendering Rice's candidacy moot. Rice benefitted from Arsenal closing out the Premier League title, and probably needs to win the Champions League crown too to have a realistic shot at winning this award over his international teammate.

Even if Rice is unlikely to win just by way of his position and lack of flashy production, he should finish amongst the top vote-getters regardless for his exceptional season.

Declan Rice stats 2025/26

3) Michael Olise (RW, Bayern Munich)

After being under-appreciated throughout a stellar first season with Bayern Munich, Michael Olise has finally become a talking point across the European narrative in the 2025/26 season.

Nobody in Europe has been more explosive creating chances in the attacking third for teammates, as he leads the continent in assists across all competitions throughout the top five leagues while also scoring a healthy amount of his own. Olise is third in expected assists in the Champions League behind Mohamed Salah (!!) and Julian Alvarez, and he has the second-most carries that end with a shot of anyone as well. Domestically, Olise is just one assist behind Thomas Muller's Bundesliga record of 21 in a single campaign and has plenty of time to eclipse that.

For Olise to win the Ballon d'Or (and Kane as well), he likely needs to help Bayern Munich to a Champions League title; it's the only way to validate the bloated Bundesliga numbers, which are always taken with a grain of salt given the league's propensity to favour attacking play.

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.

A leading role in a World Cup push with France could then put him over the top and set him apart from teammate Kane, but there are so many world-class superstars in this France attack, he likely would need to be the main character in a title run to win the award.

Michael Olise stats 2025/26

2) Lamine Yamal (RW, Barcelona)

At present, nobody's star power is greater than 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 Mbappe 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 all 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 Atletico 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 now fully relies on Spain's performance in the United States at the World Cup, where an injury threatens to cut his time at the tournament down. He may need to win the FIFA title, or at least win the Golden Ball in a losing performance, to have a shot.

MORE: Lamine Yamal is the most "next Messi" player we've ever seen

Lamine Yamal stats 2025/26

1) Harry Kane (CF, Bayern Munich)

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 have pummeled the competition this season, winning 22 of their first 27 league games, with Kane scoring 31 goals so far. At this current pace, he could threaten Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga record of 41 goals, set in 2020/21, the season many believe the Polish star should have won the Ballon d'Or had it not been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he is leading a Bayern attack that has 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 will come down to the Champions League and the World Cup. Given that Bundesliga performances rarely sway voters much given the league's reputation as attacking-rich, he will likely need one — maybe both — of those titles to make a serious case for the award. Kane must prove that his goal-scoring flurry will translate to either the European stage or the international stage if he is to finally lift this individual trophy. Dembele managed it last year, able to couple his exceptional Ligue 1 haul with a Champions League title, so is it Kane's turn next?

Kane could have had his candidacy damaged by Bayern Munich's semifinal exit from the Champions League at the hands of PSG, but right now, there's nobody that has the body of work (61 goals across all competitions!) to leap front him on the list, especially after bagging a hat-trick in the German cup final on the last day of their club season. If he has a big World Cup with England, it could leave him standing atop his list.

Harry Kane stats 2025/26

Other players in the Ballon d'Or mix

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. But do not count the French forward out, as he is likely the first man off the list right now. He used a strong second half last time around to propel his candidacy forward, and is looking to make a similar charge having scored five goals in the final three Champions League matches before the final against Liverpool and Bayern Munich. A big World Cup could see him vault quickly up the rankings.

While Raphinha was 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. Despite that, he remains a top attacker in the world and, like Dembele, a big summer with Brazil could lift his candidacy back to last year's levels.

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.

Real Madrid's tough season have sunk many of their contenders. Vinicius Jr. is miles from a spot on this list, only able to rescue his candidacy with a big World Cup, while Federico Valverde scuppered an exceptional season after his dressing room scuffle with Aurelien Tchouanmeni.