Ranked: Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and the top 10 Ballon d'Or candidates for 2026

Cole Palmer unquestionably has an issue with consistency - but the Chelsea ace is the definition of a big-game player. After going missing for the majority of the second half of last season, he returned to form in the Europa League Conference final win over Betis before playing a starring role in his club's surprise Club World Cup success in the United States.

As a result, Palmer is a dark horse for next year's Ballon d'Or, given Chelsea are back in the Champions League and England are near-certainties to go deep at the World Cup - meaning the 23-year-old attacker is going to get even more opportunities to impress on the game's grandest stages in 2026. The big challenge for him, though, will be turning up week-in, week-out. If he can do that, he's got a shot.

As arguably the most complete defender in the game today, Achraf Hakimi would have made a very worthy winner of this year's Ballon d'Or. The Moroccan may be only a right-back but he's utterly integral to Paris Saint-Germain's game plan, as one of their best ball-winners and most creative attacking outlets.

After finishing sixth this year, he obviously might never rank so highly again but it is worth noting that Morocco, who are on the verge of sealing their spot at the 2026 World Cup, are being heavily backed to win the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in January. 

Hakimi, then, could be right in contention for the 2026 Ballon d'Or before we even reach the business end of the European club season - even if the fact that he's a defender would likely count against him again. 

It feels unfair to be wondering if Dembele can win back-to-back Ballons d'Or the morning after claiming his first - but it genuinely will be fascinating to see if the notoriously inconsistent winger can actually maintain his fine form for more than six months.

Remember, Dembele only really started delivering for PSG on a regular basis in 2025, after being moved into the middle of their three-pronged attack by Luis Enrique at the tail end of last year.

The Frenchman certainly has the talent to repeat and it's hugely encouraging that he finally seems to have got his head together. The only major concern, then, is his ability to stay fit for a significant period of time, so it doesn't bode well that he's presently sidelined by injury, after playing 53 games at club level alone last season...

One could easily argue that Vitinha will never get a better chance to win the Ballon d'Or. He was sensational for both Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal last season, winning the treble with the former and the Nations League with the latter, but he had to settle forthird spot in this year's vote.

However, there's no reason to think that the 25-year-old Vitinha is going to suddenly stop improving. He's been an upward curve since his frustrating loan spell at Wolves and is universally regarded as one of the best midfielders on the planet.

Most importantly of all, PSG are very well-placed to retain their Champions League title, while Portugal are potential World Cup winners. In that context, it would be a surprise if Vitinha is not in the Ballon d'Or conversation again in 12 months' time.

When Rodri won last year's Ballon d'Or, he hailed it as a victory for Spanish football and name-checked legends like Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who never managed to get their hands on their prize - mainly because of the ridiculous brilliance of their club-mate Lionel Messi.

Pedri might find himself in a similar position at Barcelona because of Lamine Yamal. However, Rodri's win showed that voters are willing to recognise midfielders that don't score or create that many goals, which is a positive development for Pedri.

He's still only 22 but is already one of the most complete footballers in the game, a player as adept at regaining possession as he is at keeping it. If Barca and Spain both win major honours in 2026, you can be sure that Pedri will be one of the main reasons why.

Mohamed Salah seems to be held to a higher standard than so many of his Ballon d'Or rivals. Despite a sustained level of excellence that few other players have matched, Salah's fourth-placed finish this year is his best-ever ranking.

Given he turned 33 during the summer, there's a feeling that Salah's time has passed. However, he is arguably better placed than he's ever been to win the Ballon d'Or.

For starters, Liverpool are many people's pick to win not only the Premier League this season - but also the Champions League.

Secondly, Salah is going to get to play in two major tournaments this season: the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup. If the prolific winger were to win a major trophy at both club and international level, he would definitely be a serious Ballon d'Or contender in 2026.

Harry Kane has been such a good signing for Bayern Munich that German journalists are now even issuing public apologies for ever doubting him!

The crazy thing is that even after firing the Bavarians to Bundesliga glory last season, the 32-year-old striker is showing no signs of slowing down. Indeed, no player across Europe's 'Big 5' leagues has scored more goals in all competitions this season than Kane, who has netted 13 times in just seven appearances.

With Bayern having begun their bid for Champions League glory with an impressive win over Chelsea, and England among the favourites to win next year's World Cup, the former Spurs striker has every chance of being a Ballon d'Or frontrunner in 2026. 

Erling Haaland didn't manage to win the Ballon d'Or in 2023 despite scoring 52 times in 53 games during Manchester City's treble triumph. So, what more can he do to get his hands on the prize?

Well, helping his native Norway qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 would certainly help - and Haaland is certainly doing his part. The big No.9 edged his country ever closer to next summer's finals in North America by scoring five goals in an 11-1 rout of Moldova earlier this month. With five wins from five games, Norway might even have top spot in UEFA Group I in the bag before they face Italy in their final qualifier in Milan in October.

Of course, Haaland would still need a successful season at City to boost his Ballon d'Or bid and there is a mounting fear that Pep Guardiola has lost his Midas touch. However, their star striker is still scoring freely, as underlined by his record of seven goals in six games so far this season.

Kylian Mbappe didn't make an especially convincing start to his Real Madrid career but he finished his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu in sensational form, with the France forward collecting the European Golden Shoe after netting 31 goals in 34 appearances - including a Clasico hat-trick against Barcelona.

The good news for Mbappe - along with Real Madrid and France - is that he's started the current campaign in even more impressive form. The 26-year-old has already struck seven times in six outings in all competitions, which is one of the main reasons why a resurgent Real look capable of reclaiming their Spanish title - and their European crown too.

Let's not forget either that Mbappe also has every chance of becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer next summer (with 12 goals to his name, he's just four behind Miroslav Klose). Doing so would significantly boost his hopes of winning a first Ballon d'Or.

Lamine Yamal has just finished second in the Ballon d'Or voting - and he's still only 18, which is just ridiculous. Not even eight-time winner Lionel Messi was as good as the Spaniard at the same age.

There really was no better player to watch in last season's Champions League, with Simone Inzaghi rightly describing Yamal as a generational talent after the youngster had tormented Inter's defenders in both legs of an epic semi-final tie.

Yamal is going to win the Ballon d'Or, then, and probably quite a few times, too. Whether he collects next year's prize, though, depends on how Barca fare in the Champions League, and whether Spain win the World Cup. But he's undoubtedly the favourite at this very early stage.