With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders again in 2026.

Kylian Mbappe is on a Lionel Messi-themed revenge mission at the 2026 World Cup, Louis Saha has told GOAL, with France’s talismanic striker determined to right a few wrongs from Qatar 2022. Final agony - despite scoring a hat-trick against Argentina - was endured in the Middle East, but positive progress has been made through another major competition on North American soil.

Former Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has called for Kylian Mbappe to test himself in the Premier League before his career concludes. Barry believes the Frenchman should make the move to the Etihad Stadium to ensure he does not mirror Lionel Messi in never playing in England's top flight.

Comprehensive match preview of France vs Morocco at World Cup 2026. We talk tactics, team news and more ahead of this quarter-final clash in Foxborough.

France captain Kylian Mbappe has issued a scathing response to Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla following a series of vile racist attacks directed at the forward. The Real Madrid star was targeted by the politician on social media after Les Bleus eliminated Paraguay from the 2026 World Cup in a heated last-16 encounter.

The meteoric rise of young stars like Lamine Yamal has reignited the debate about who could inherit the throne left by the two greatest legends of modern football. However, former player Tonito warns that reaching the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo requires a consistency that few in history have managed to demonstrate over decades.