Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings: Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal climb as Lionel Messi enters contention for Golden Ball No.9

In 2025-26: Eight assists, nine clean sheets. Won UEFA Super Cup.

Widely regarded as the best right-back in the world, Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after a season in which he contributed as much to the PSG attack as he did to ensure they remained solid at the back. One of the leaders within Luis Enrique's squad, the Moroccan's performances will again have a large bearing on the French champions' fortunes at home and on the continent.

Hakimi had made a decent start to the season before suffering an ankle injury in late October, and what places him so high in our rankings is the potential for him to shine on the international stage. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and have the strongest squad among the African qualifiers for 2026, meaning another deep run isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Before that, the Atlas Lions are the favourites to triumph on home soil at AFCON, with Hakimi - the newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year - set to be the face of the tournament if he can prove his fitness during the group stages.

In 2025-26: 22 goals, 19 assists. Won MLS Cup.

He couldn't, could he?! The days of Lionel Messi even being nominated for the Ballon d'Or were thought to be behind us, but after guiding Inter Miami to their first-ever MLS Cup and with Argentina remaining among the favourites to win the World Cup, there is a real chance that the eight-time winner finds himself back in the running for the Golden Ball come the summer.

Messi proved to be a class apart on his way to winning a second-straight MLS MVP award as he provided six goals and seven assists in Miami's six play-off matches alone, and certainly that success at club level would be taken into account if he can help Argentina defend their global crown in North America in 2026. For all the talent around him, Messi remains at the heart of the Albiceleste's line up, and thus any triumph in his new homeland will likely be attributed largely to him once more.

In 2025-26: 15 goals, nine assists. Won DFL-Supercup.

Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might not be in such turmoil had Luis Diaz not been sold over the summer. The versatile forward played an important role in the Reds' title triumph of 2024-25, but his desire for a new challenge led to the Anfield outfit accepting a €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) bid from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.

Diaz hasn't looked back since, having struck up a fine understanding with Harry Kane and the rest of his Bayern team-mates. Some of his strikes in the Bundesliga have been stunning, while his double to beat PSG in the Champions League was the kind of match-winning display that catches Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if his subsequent red card means he won't be seen again in the competition until January at the earliest.

Factor in Diaz will be playing at his first World Cup this summer, and he has all the makings of a Golden Ball contender.

In 2025-26: 12 goals, 15 assists. Won DFL-Supercup.

Anyone who predicted that Michael Olise would struggle to make the step up from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has been sorely mistaken, with the wideman having strung together a year or so of fantastic performances for the Bundesliga champions. Equally capable of scoring as he is creating goals for others, the 24-year-old has grown into one of the most fearsome forward players in the German top flight while also making his mark on the Champions League.

Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot in the France line-up despite intense competition for places. As such, he could be one of the stars of the upcoming World Cup for one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

In 2025-26: Five goals, eight assists. Won UEFA Super Cup & FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Vitinha came a long way since his underwhelming loan spell at Wolves five years ago to finish on the Ballon d'Or podium in 2025, and the PSG dictator-in-chief is now regarded by many as the best midfielder on the planet. Certainly, he has played in such a fashion to begin the new season, and even looks to be adding more goal and assist output to his game, as highlighted by his hat-trick to beat Tottenham in the Champions League in November.

He will also form part of a Portugal squad next summer that, after winning the Nations League, has a genuine belief that they can triumph at the World Cup. Should they do so, then Vitinha will likely have played a massive part.

In 2025-26: Three goals, eight assists.

Declan Rice announced himself as one of the world's elite midfielders with his performances against Real Madrid in last season's Champions League, and the Arsenal man has gone from strength to strength since. Rice is now one of the Gunners' most important players as they go in search of not just the Premier League title but also a first-ever Champions League triumph, after making a perfect start to their European campaign.

Rice's driving runs, defensive contributions and set-piece deliveries mean games rarely pass him by, while he is also a certain starter for a Thomas Tuchel-led England side that is looking more than capable of ending 60 years of hurt by winning the 2026 World Cup.

In 2025-26: 10 goals, 14 assists.

The bookmakers' favourite heading into the season, Lamine Yamal is well on course to become the first player under the age of 21 to win the Ballon d'Or, and he wouldn't even have to win it in 2026 to do so! The Barcelona teenager's performances in the latter stages of last season's Champions League saw him emerge in the eyes of many as the finest footballer in the world, and his runners-up finish behind Dembele in the Golden Ball voting was testament to that.

There are those who still believe he needs to produce more decisive moments in the biggest games, while there are concerns that the number of matches Yamal has played at such a young age are leading to an increase in injury problems. Barca, meanwhile, look well short of being Champions League contenders right now due to their defensive deficiencies, meaning Yamal might need to lean heavily on his displays for Spain at the World Cup if he is to take home the Ballon d'Or.

In 2025-26: 34 goals, eight assists.

Is this the year Kylian Mbappe finally gets his hands on the Ballon d'Or? Almost from the moment he emerged as a teenager at Monaco, the forward has been anointed a future Golden Ball winner. But having just celebrated his 27th birthday, Mbappe is still waiting for his opportunity to stand atop the podium in Paris.

So far, he could have done little more to give himself the best chance possible to end that wait, with Mbappe having carried a struggling Real Madrid this term with a number of match-winning goals. He has also saved the best international performances of his career for World Cups, and so expect the France captain to go the distance in this race.

In 2025-26: 38 goals, six assists.

After an underwhelming season by his own lofty standards, Erling Haaland has gone into 'Terminator mode' this time around, becoming a one-man battering ram for Manchester City as they aim to re-establish themselves as challengers for both the Premier League and Champions League. Already well on his way to a third Golden Boot in four seasons, defences have been powerless to stop the 25-year-old thus far.

Haaland's stunning start would have put him in the Ballon d'Or conversation anyway, but his chances this time are boosted by Norway's first qualification for the World Cup since 1998, giving their star striker the chance to appear at a major tournament for the first time. The Scandinavians are merely dark horses to triumph in North America, but Haaland could yet use the global stage to put a bow on his Golden Ball bid if all goes well at club level.

In 2025-26: 35 goals, three assists. Won DFL-Supercup.

There will always be those who don't fully appreciate Harry Kane, but now that he has got the trophy monkey off his back that so many used to question him over the years, the Bayern Munich striker looks like a man on a mission, utterly determined to show that he is also worthy of individual recognition after starting the campaign at a record-breaking pace.

As well as scoring mountains of goals, Kane has showcased his all-round game to devastating effect for the Bundesliga champions, and if he can maintain this form, then further silverware will be coming his way at the end of the season. England fans, meanwhile, are praying that their captain doesn't again run out of steam before the summer, with Kane key to the Three Lions' hopes of ending their agonising wait for a major honour at international level.