World Cup 2026 Golden Ball Power Rankings: Rodri pips Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to best player prize following epic win by Spain

Erling Haaland had an astounding debut World Cup. The pinnacle was his stunning intervention as Norway beat Brazil 2-1 to pull off a stunning round of 16 upset. The powerful striker picked his moment perfectly as he rose to head in the opener late in the second half before carving a chance out of nowhere, drilling into the bottom corner to render Neymar's last-gasp penalty irrelevant.

In truth, Haaland was fantastic from the beginning of the tournament. He had his name on the scoresheet within 30 minutes of his side's opener against Iraq and then popped up to restore their lead just before half-time in a tough battle against the Middle Eastern nation.

Norway went on to win 4-1, with the Manchester City forward taking home the Man of the Match award, and his eye for goal was on display again as he scored twice in a 3-2 win against Senegal. He popped up again with the vital winner as Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to survive the round of 32 and while they were eventually ousted by England in the last eight, Haaland did more than enough overall to put himself in the Golden Ball conversation.

Kane may have got the lion's share of the goals in Bayern Munich's blistering campaign, but it was Michael Olise who captured the hearts of many fans. The Bundesliga player of the year's electrifying pace, immense control and fantastic finishing ability saw him net 20 goals and register 25 assists across the German top-flight and Champions League, where Bayern reached the semi-finals.

A similar dynamic is at play in the France squad, with Mbappe being heralded for his goals but Olise earning plaudits for his stunning work around the box. His pinpoint pass set up Mbappe to open the scoring against Senegal in the first game, and his excellent use of the ball saw him named FIFA's Player of the Match in the 3-1 win.

The former Crystal Palace playmaker now has a tournament-leading five assists to his name, having since set up two goals for Mbappe and one each for Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola. Spain managed to keep him completely silent, though, putting an end to his blistering campaign.

Enzo Fernandez's ability to keep up with the intensity of Argentina's matches was vital to another stellar campaign from the Albiceleste. Their last group stage game aside, the Chelsea midfielder was ever-present in Lionel Scaloni's starting XI and chipped in with vital late goals right when the reigning champions needed them. He rattled home the last-gasp winner against Egypt in the round of 16 before firing beyond Jordan Pickford to level the semi-final against England, setting the groundwork for Lionel Messi and Co. to complete the comeback.

The all-action 25-year-old blotted his copybook in the final when picking up a reckless red card against Spain, with two bookings in quick succession before the end of normal time leaving him watching on as La Roja claimed the ultimate prize.

With a whopping 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich last season, European Golden Shoe winner Harry Kane has struck fear into every defence he's come up against in North America.

Kane has often faced allegations of not living up to the big occasion for England, but he has shown that he is built for the task at this World Cup. His double against Croatia was crucial to their 4-2 win and he wrapped up the important victory over Panama, before rescuing the Three Lions from last-32 elimination against DR Congo with a fantastic double in the final 15 minutes.

England had to contend with a change in altitude and a deafening home crowd as they took on Mexico at the Azteca in the last-16, and Kane was vital once again. He sent Jude Bellingham through for the second of his quickfire double before firing Tuchel's team 3-1 up from the penalty spot, but was unable to inspire his team to victory as they crumbled against Argentina.

It's fair to say that Yamal did not live up to expectations at the 2026 World Cup. But that is only because they were completely unrealistic. The Barcelona wonderkid only turned 19 during the tournament - which he entered still carrying an injury that cut short his club season.

The fact that he is seen as an undisputed talisman for both club and country is testament to how much he has achieved at such a young age. Yamal is perhaps the greatest teenager to ever play the game, with three La Liga titles, one European Championship winners' medal and a Ballon d'Or runner up nod already under his belt, and although he had to gradually find his rhythm this summer, Spain still relied on his magic to open opponents up.

Yamal dazzled on matchday two as Spain routed Saudi Arabia 4-0, scoring the opener and tying defenders in knots every time he got on the ball. He failed to score in any of Spain's next four games, but his influence in the final third did not waver, and he was particularly impressive in their quarter-final win over Belgium, recording 80 touches, four successful dribbles, six shots and nine ground duel wins. Another major honour was collected when helping La Roja to battle past Argentina in the final - which some rough treatment from the Albiceleste being shrugged off.

Mikel Oyarzabal was an unlikely hero for Spain at the 2026 World Cup, leading their charge for glory with four goals in his first six appearances. The Real Sociedad ace is excellent at timing his runs into the box and his clinical finishing was especially vital in the round of 32, as he found the net twice in a 3-0 win against Austria.

To some outsiders, Oyarzabal's form on the global stage came as something of a surprise, but not to Spain and La Liga fans. He bagged six goals for La Roja in World Cup qualifying, and hit 15 in 34 top flight appearances for Real Sociedad last season, which has earned him links with Barcelona.

Oyarzabal did not get on the scoresheet in Spain's knockout wins over Portugal or Belgium, but he continued to be a constant threat, and netted a penalty in the 2-0 semi-final win against France, enhancing his status as Luis de la Fuente's most dangerous weapon after Yamal.

Jude Bellingham famously bellowed “who else” when helping to keep England in the hunt for continental glory at Euro 2024, and the Real Madrid midfielder has proved he remains the man for the big occasion this summer, emphatically shutting down critics who claimed he didn't deserve a starting spot under Thomas Tuchel.

He fired the Three Lions back in front during their testing World Cup opener against Croatia, before breaking the deadlock against Panama in New Jersey to help secure top spot in Group L. It was against Mexico in the round of 16 that his influence truly emerged, however, as the midfielder punished the tournament co-hosts with back-to-back goals to put England in the ascendancy and ultimately on course to win the clash 3-2.

Bellingham somehow managed to top that display with another two-goal showing in a tense 2-1 quarter-final win against Norway, leading Gary Lineker to suggest that the 23-year-old could become England's greatest ever player. He could do little to stop England's decline in the second-half against Argentina, though, as his side fell 2-1 to the Albiceleste in the semi-final.

When you consider that 27-year-old Kylian Mbappe had both gold and silver medals under his belt and the same goal record as Brazil icon Pele (12 in 14 games) heading into the tournament, his status as a World Cup great was already undeniable.

Mbappe is seemingly out to become the best ever player on this stage, though, having moved ahead of the Brazilian icon in his first game in the United States, scoring twice to help fire Les Bleus to a 3-1 win. He followed that up with another double against Iraq, then turned provider with two assists against Norway as France won the group.

Les Bleus came up against Sweden in the last-32 and it was Mbappe who got them over the line. After seeing an early opener ruled out, he scored the first and third goals to set up a feisty showdown against Paraguay, where he made the difference with a penalty. Mbappe continued his hot-streak in the quarter-finals, curling home a superb shot to set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco. His and France's tournament fizzled out in the final four, though, as Spain rendered him useless in a 2-0 win.

A brace against England in the third-place play-off saw the Real Madrid forward move above Messi in both the 2026 Golden Boot race and all-time World Cup goalscorer chart - with the target being found on 22 occasions in total at FIFA's flagship through as many appearances.

Utterly phenomenal. The Argentine sensation, who beat Mbappe to the prize four years ago and turned 49 during the competition, was the heart and soul of his nation's march to a second consecutive final. He started the competition with a hat-trick against Algeria as Argentina ran out 3-0 winners in their first game.

The treble made him the World Cup's joint-top scorer of all-time with 16 and he followed that up by setting a new record with his double against Austria on matchday two. The South American GOAT then stepped off the bench to fire in a free-kick against Jordan and become the first man to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.

After Argentina eventually scraped a 3-2 extra-time win against Cape Verde in one of the greatest matches in the tournament's history - with Messi again on target - the world was reminded that he is indeed human when he missed a penalty against Egypt in the last-16. The African side went 2-0 up but Messi was on target with the equalising goal before they grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

He was key against Switzerland, too, setting up the opening goal before masterminding the comeback win against England, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez's late goals. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was kept uncharacteristically quiet by Spain in the final, as ultimate glory eluded him, and questions are being asked of whether his stunning 207-cap international career has now come to a close.

Rodri came from nowhere to walk away with Golden Ball honours, as he pipped the likes of Messi and Mbappe to the prestigious Player of the Tournament prize. Such exploits should not come as a surprise anymore, given all that the Manchester City midfielder has achieved.

He earned Ballon d’Or recognition in 2024 after inspiring Spain to European Championship glory that year. Premier League, Champions League and domestic cup successes have also been savoured at club level.

The 30-year-old helps to make Spain and City tick, with those qualities being showcased once again on the grandest of stages. His ability to break up play and get La Roja moving forward contributed significantly to their almost faultless run to the 2026 World Cup final - with only one goal being conceded across the entire competition.

Rodri helped to keep Messi and Co quiet as Luis de la Fuente’s side added a global title to their continental crown. His comeback from an agonising ACL injury is now complete, with a standing among the elite being taken up once more.