World Cup Qualification Inter-Confederation Overview

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 one year on.

Michael Olise has been posting “crazy” numbers at Bayern Munich, leading to him reportedly having a £170 million ($229m) price tag placed around his neck, and Louis Saha has told GOAL why a return to the Premier League may not be the France international’s next move. Few teams on the planet could afford to put a transfer package in place for Olise, but that does not mean that the former Crystal Palace star is destined to head back to England.

Kylian Mbappe has been unable to get his hands on Champions League and Ballon d’Or prizes, but former France international Louis Saha has used Cristiano Ronaldo as an example of why fortunes can change quickly for a “black cat”. Luck has not been on Mbappe’s side, despite being a World Cup-winning superstar, but the most prestigious of honours are expected to come his way eventually.

Marcus Rashford has been told that his “time has passed” at Manchester United, with Louis Saha explaining to GOAL why the England international will have no future at Old Trafford even if Barcelona opt against triggering a £26 million ($35m) permanent transfer option. The 28-year-old forward has spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Camp Nou and is expected to complete a move “somewhere” in the next window.