Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings: Is Golden Ball number nine really on for Lionel Messi?! Electric start to World Cup fires Argentina ace into contention as Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and more maintain their challenges

In 2025-26: 13 goals, 12 assists. Won Premier League.

Due to both form and fitness, this was not a vintage season for Bukayo Saka. However, it still proved to be a memorable campaign for the Arsenal winger as the Gunners won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final.

Saka's return to the fold sparked Arsenal into producing their best performance for weeks against Fulham in early May as they wrestled back control of the title race, before the England international then scored the goal that booked the Gunners' place in European football's biggest game. Injuries have followed him into the World Cup, but he has still made his presence known for the Three Lions, and is set to be a key figure through the knockout rounds.

In 2025-26: 28 goals, nine assists. Won Africa Cup of Nations, Eredivisie & Johan Cruyff Schaal.

Ismael Saibari's superb season for PSV may have gone largely unnoticed outside of the Netherlands, but the Eredivisie's Player of the Year did enough to catch Bayern Munich's eye, with the forward set to earn a move to the Allianz Arena in the coming days.

Before that, Saibari's focus has been on helping Morocco plot another deep run at the World Cup, and the forward has scored in each of the Atlas Lions' games thus far ahead of their last-32 meeting with the country he has called home for the past six years, the Netherlands.

In 2025-26: 21 goals, nine assists. Won La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

For some, Raphinha finishing fifth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting was a disgrace given the quite ridiculous attacking numbers he posted for Barcelona. They had a point, too, and it seemed that the Brazilian was keen to get himself back among the contenders after shaking off a nagging hamstring problem that stalled his progress through the opening months of the campaign.

He produced match-winning performances against Real Madrid in the final of the Supercopa de Espana and against Newcastle in the Champions League, only to suffer another injury that proved costly in terms of Barca's European hopes. Fitness issues have continued to plague him at the World Cup, though he still harbours hope of returning in the knockout rounds as the Selecao chase their sixth title.

In 2025-26: 28 goals, nine assists. Won Serie A & Coppa Italia.

Though they were embarrassingly dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt, Inter still enjoyed a successful season, as the Nerazzuri wrapped up the Serie A title before triumphing in the Coppa Italia final. As in previous years, Lautaro Martinez was the driving force behind that success.

He finished three goals clear as the top scorer in the Italian top-flight, and has since finally broken his duck by netting his first World Cup goal for Argentina. And with the draw having opened up nicely for the defending champions, Lautaro should have plenty of opportunities to add to his tally before the summer is over.

In 2025-26: 37 goals, six assists. Won Saudi Pro League.

Only one man, Sir Stanley Matthews, has ever won the Ballon d'Or aged 40 or above,and Cristiano Ronaldo joining that exclusive club may well seem farfetched to those whose focus remains on the European game. However, the five-time Golden Ball winner continued to bang in the goals in Saudi Arabia during the past season, and finally broke his trophy duck in the Middle East as, after a mid-season blip, Al-Nassr won the Pro League title.

Ronaldo averaged almost a goal a game for the new Saudi champions, though he hasn't quite been able to translate that form into the World Cup for Portugal thus far. Questions continue to be asked as to whether he is a help or a hindrance to Roberto Martinez's side, and Ronaldo will need to offer a resounding answer to his critics if the Seleccao are to make it through what looks likely to be a very tough run through the knockouts.

In 2025-26: Four goals, 17 assists, 20 clean sheets. Won Africa Cup of Nations, Champions League, Ligue 1 & UEFA Super Cup.

The best right-back on the planet, Achraf Hakimi has enjoyed another excellent season for PSG, and returned from injury just in time to play a full part in their Champions League final triumph.

For now, he can also claim to be a champion of Africa following CAF's ruling to overturn the result of the controversial Cup of Nations final, though Senegal's appeal could yet reverse that call. Regardless, Morocco have once again shown themselves to the continents leading light at the World Cup thus far, with Hakimi producing the goods in forward areas during the victory over Haiti in the group stages.

In 2025-26: 13 goals, 26 assists.

With the Premier League single-season assist record having been secured, and with it both the FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year trophies, Bruno Fernandes yet again proved to be the man who made Manchester United tick. He has shown glimpses of that form at the World Cup thus far, too, though he and the rest of the Portugal squad need to produce much better performances in the knockouts if they are to go all the way.

Winning the Golden Ball, however, may well still be beyond Fernandes regardless. With United not in Europe and without a trophy to show for their efforts, Fernandes would had to have enjoyed a truly remarkable campaign to get himself into the running among the main contenders. As good as he's been, he hasn't hit that level.

In 2025-26: Four goals, five assists, 31 clean sheets. Won Premier League.

Perhaps no player encapsulates modern-day Arsenal more than Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Brazil international having emerged as one of the most dangerous set-piece weapons within the Premier League, while his physical style of defending has rarely been as in vogue within the past couple of decades as it is right now.

Though William Saliba remains as classy as ever, Gabriel can now be considered the most important of Arsenal's centre-back duo. However, his penalty miss in the Champions League final will undoubtedly count against him in the Ballon d'Or voting, even if he continues to enjoy a strong World Cup with the Selecao.

In 2025-26: Seven goals, 14 assists. Won Premier League.

Declan Rice announced himself as one of the world's elite midfielders with his performances against Real Madrid in the 2024-25 Champions League, and the Arsenal man has gone from strength to strength since. Rice was one of the Gunners' most important players as they claimed the Premier League title this time around, as well as playing a big role in them reaching the Champions League final.

Rice's driving runs, defensive contributions and set-piece deliveries mean games rarely pass him by, though a niggling hamstring problem is threatening to limit his impact at the World Cup for England. If he can shake that off, then he could be set for a massive final month of the season as the Three Lions chase global glory.

In 2025-26: 28 goals, 16 assists.

Vinicius Jr endured a miserable 2025 when it came to his performances for Real Madrid, managing just eight goals in La Liga over the course of the calendar year as his Ballon d'Or revenge tour went awry. However, as the old adage goes, form is temporary but class is permanent, and Vini showed that he can still prove to be decisive during a hot streak to kick-off 2026 that included him scoring four goals in six Champions League knockout games.

The former Flamengo talent's return to his best level wasn't enough to help bring silverware to the Bernabeu, but he does seem to be finally putting his abysmal record with Brazil to bed having led from the front with four goals during the World Cup group stages, placing him firmly in the Golden Boot race.

In 2025-26: 30 goals, 27 assists. Won Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal & DFL-Supercup.

Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might have been far more successful had Luis Diaz not been sold last 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 them accepting a €75m (£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 this past season were stunning, while his thrilling performances in the Champions League will definitely have caught the Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if Bayern ultimately came up short in Europe again. He has also provided some moments of magic for Colombia thus far at the World Cup as they surprisingly topped their group at Portugal's expense.

In 2025-26: Seven goals, 10 assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Trophee des Champions, UEFA Super Cup & FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Vitinha came a long way from his underwhelming loan spell at Wolves six years ago to finishing 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 for much of the season, and has even added more goals and assists to his game as Luis Enrique's side have again won both Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Vitinha was named Player of the Match in the final of the latter, and has continued to set the tempo for Portugal at the World Cup, though the Seleccao are yet to fully hit their stride despite the talent available to Roberto Martinez in North America.

In 2025-26: 55 goals, 11 assists. Won FA Cup & Carabao Cup.

After an underwhelming season by his own lofty standards, Erling Haaland went into 'Terminator Mode' to begin the 2025-26 campaign, becoming a one-man battering ram for Manchester City as they aimed to re-establish themselves as challengers for the biggest prizes. A subsequent dry spell to start 2026 threatened to both ruin Haaland's Ballon d'Or chances as well as City's hopes of silverware as they crashed out of the Champions League, but they did bounce back, winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup while pushing Arsenal all the way in the Premier League title race.

And so while Haaland failed to land the biggest trophies available to him, his candidacy has undoubtedly been boosted by Norway's first appearance at the World Cup since 1998, and their star striker has taken full advantage by netting four times during the group stages for the Scandinavian dark horses.

In 2025-26: 23 goals, 10 assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Trophee des Champions, UEFA Super Cup & FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

If we were to crown the outstanding player of the Champions League knockout stages, then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would be head and shoulders above pretty much everyone else. The PSG winger became the first player in the competition's history to score or assist in seven successive knockout games, with some stunning strikes included in that number as the defending champions fought their way to another European triumph.

Kvaratskhelia's season-long form did not reached those same heights, however, while Georgia's failure to qualify for the World Cup threatens to put a ceiling on where he can finish in the final Ballon d'Or reckoning. There is still a path to at least the podium for the man they call 'Kvaradona', and he could barely have done more to get there.

In 2025-26: 42 goals, 26 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 before making a sparkling start to the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, there is a real chance that the eight-time winner finds himself back in the running for the Golden Ball by the end of 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. He started the tournament on fire, scoring six times in La Albiceleste's opening three games to break the World Cup's all-time scoring record. And with their path to the latter stages among the more straightforward on paper when it comes to the presumed favourites, Messi is expected to have plenty more chances to add to his Ballon d'Or case.

In 2025-26: 26 goals, 20 assists. Won La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

The bookmakers' Ballon d'Or favourite heading into the season, Lamine Yamal is well on course to become the first player under the age of 21 to claim the award - 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 voting was testament to that.

There are those who still believe Yamal needs to produce more decisive moments in the biggest games, while there are concerns that the number of matches he has played at such a young age are leading to an increase in injury issues that ultimately brought a premature end to his campaign and left him on the bench for Spain's opening game of the World Cup. The 18-year-old returned to score the opening goal against Saudi Arabia, and now has the platform to take the knockout rounds by storm as he approaches something close to full fitness.

In 2025-26: 52 goals, 12 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 turned 27 in December, Mbappe is still waiting for his opportunity to stand atop the podium.

For much of the season, he could have done little more to give himself the best chance possible of ending that wait, as Mbappe carried a struggling Real Madrid, to the point that he picked up a knee injury that he struggled to fully recover from while Los Blancos' hopes of ending the season with a trophy gradually drifted away. Mbappe does, however, tend to save his best performances for World Cups, and his four goals and three assists have moved him right back into the Ballon d'Or running.

In 2025-26: 26 goals, 37 assists. Won Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal & 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 winger having strung together two years 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 Europe while also making his mark on the Champions League, most notably against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, whom he ran ragged for long periods at the Bernabeu before capping the tie with a goal back in Bavaria.

Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot in the France line-up despite intense competition for places, and he has been one of the stars of Les Bleus' World Cup campaign to date, with his creativity and eye for a pass helping one of the tournament favourites unlock opposition defences with regularity.

In 2025-26: 23 goals, 13 assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Trophee des Champions, UEFA Super Cup & FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Injuries limited the impact Dembele was able to have on the first half of PSG's season, meaning him defending his Ballon d'Or crown looked to be off the table. However, since returning to full fitness, he forced his way back into the reckoning by rediscovering his best form, most notably with match-winning performances against both Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockouts before he again found the net in the final victory over Arsenal.

Dembele still needed to make an impact on the World Cup to further his case, and after finally scoring his first tournament goal against Iraq on matchday two of the group stages, he truly announced himself on the tournament with a superb hat-trick to take down Norway that has also catapulted him into the tournament's Golden Boot race.

In 2025-26: 70 goals, seven assists. Won Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal & 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 beat him with 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 as he continues to score at a remarkable rate.

As well as netting mountains of goals, Kane showcased his all-round game to devastating effect for the Bundesliga champions, while he netted three times in England's opening three games at the World Cup. If he can maintain that rate while leading the Three Lions to glory in North America, then the rest of the Ballon d'Or challengers might as well pack up and go home.