2026 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings: Mbappe, Kane & Haaland miles clear at the top… | OneFootball

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or – but who will follow in his footsteps next year?

Big-name players from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are among the early leading contenders, but there’s a long way to go. Particularly in a World Cup year.

With that being said, he’s our latest Ballon d’Or power rankings for 2026. Keep checking back as we’ll be keeping on top of all the runners and riders over the following 12 months.

10. Martin Zubimendi (=)

We’re keeping Zubi as our curveball to kick off this list. It might sound wild, but hear us out.

Since Rodri’s ACL injury and struggle to refind form and fitness, Zubimendi has held down the spot as Spain’s tempo-setter just as ably, exactly as he did off the bench in the Euro 2024 final.

There are far flashier players. The top three on this list are doing unbelievable things in the final third every week. But Rodri’s 2024 victory showed there’s room to recognise those in the engine room.

Zubimendi has been superb so far this season, but really this is us hedging our bets and looking at his platform for a historic 2026.

Arsenal look genuinely capable of winning the Champions League and/or Premier League. Spain deserve their status as the favourites for the 2026 World Cup – they’ve looked as well-oiled as an elite club side for years now.

Imagine if he wins all three.

9. Lionel Messi (=)

Planet Football received (warranted, to be fair) pelters for persevering with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in our 2024 power rankings.

We learned our lesson last year. Messi could score a hundred goals out in MLS, and it wouldn’t move the needle when it comes to the Ballon d’Or – rightly so, the award is recognition for those at the very top of the game.

But, in a tournament year… *Al Pacino voice* Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

We were made to look like fools with that logic a couple of years back, admittedly.

Messi didn’t even receive a nomination after captaining Argentina to the Copa America in 2024.

That was probably fair enough, given his impact had diminished considerably compared to the World Cup and 2021 Copa America, on both occasions his importance recognised with his seventh and eighth golden ball.

But you look at the way he’s playing right now, routinely making mincemeat of MLS defenders, and the thought of one last dance at the 2026 World Cup is irresistible. He couldn’t… could he?

8. Luis Diaz (NEW)

Ah, Liverpool. You didn’t know what you had.

It was a toss-up here between Diaz and the equally impressive Michael Olise, but we’ve gone for the Colombian as props for how seamlessly he’s settled in at Bayern Munich.

The Bavarians have a very obvious star man, but their whole attack has looked ridiculously fluid. Unstoppable with a 100% winning record so far this season.

You imagine he’d have to do something out-of-this-world spectacular with Colombia at the World Cup to realistically enter the running, though.

7. Ousmane Dembele (-1)

Having this year’s winner as low as sixth is probably a bit harsh, but we just can’t see everything falling into place for Dembele to the same extent this season. Particularly given his frustrating, injury-hit start to 2025-26.

Only Messi and Ronaldo have retained the Ballon d’Or since Marco van Basten way back in the late ’80s. With all due respect to Dembele, he’s not at their level.

If PSG go and retain the Champions League, it might well be another brilliant player – Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi – to get their flowers.

And if France go and win the World Cup, you imagine it’ll be a certain Real Madrid forward stealing the show.

6. Pedri (-1)

It’s a minor scandal that Pedri didn’t even make the top 10 this year, but we can’t see him being overlooked like that again.

Pedri is surely the best midfielder on the planet at this moment in time. Just ask the Newcastle fans who were blown away by his performance at St. James’ Park.

Unfortunately, like Pedri, his start to this season has been hampered by injury. Few will remember that come voting, though, if he returns back to his best.

5. Vitinha (↑2)

A podium placing was a fine reward for Vitinha after the four major honours he won with PSG and Portugal.

If – and it’s a very big if – Portugal win the World Cup next summer, you imagine there’ll be considerably more noise and lobbying for a certain 40-year-old to claim his sixth Ballon d’Or over their key midfielder, regardless of whatever actually happens on the pitch.

4. Lamine Yamal (=)

The Barcelona wonderkid finished runner-up this year despite notching considerably fewer goals and assists than Salah.

It does feel like there’s a degree of PR with Yamal’s podium finish, if you judge his season as a whole with a clear head.

But there’s a refreshing vibes-based aura with Yamal, harking back to when Ronaldinho won it back in 2005. Nobody talks about the Brazilian’s numbers that year, do they? It’s all about the feeling you get from watching him play.

Yamal’s start to 2025-26 has been stunted by an injury niggles, but we fully expect him to kick on from here. He looks hungry and ready to light up the new Camp Nou.

3. Kylian Mbappe (-2)

The Frenchman marked his debut season as Los Blancos’ latest Galactico with his first-ever European Golden Shoe, but he was never in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or after a dysfunctional team failed to land any major silverware.

Things look encouraging under Xabi Alonso. Results have largely been excellent, and Los Blancos are top of La Liga, but there are whisperings in the Spanish media of disquiet in the dressing room over the new boss’ more regimented style.

There’s no doubt that Mbappe is one of the very best players on the planet. The issue has always been the collective context. Both his club and national team could well enjoy a history-making 2026. But they just as easily might not. Jury’s out.

2. Harry Kane (=)

Kane has had a quite frankly outrageous start to the 2025-26 campaign. It’s not even December and he’s already notched 28 goals for club and country this season.

But the Bundesliga tax sees his domestic achievements overlooked, as evidenced by his criminally low 13th-place ranking in 2025.

Domestic silverware almost looks guaranteed. Really, he’d have to win the Champions League or World Cup to seriously be in the Ballon d’Or running – with Bayern and England looking in fine fettle, that’s eminently possible.

A potentially legacy-defining 10 months ahead for the Three Lions skipper.

1. Erling Haaland (↑2)

The 26th best player in the world, apparently.

We’d be amazed if Haaland places anywhere near as low again next year, given the rampant start he’s made to 2025-26.

He’s fired Norway to their first World Cup this century with an astonishing tally of 16 goals in UEFA qualifying – twice as many as any other player, and as many as France and Germany managed collectively.

The striker’s tally of 32 goals(!), only one of which has been a penalty, has him tracking to beat Messi’s best-ever goalscoring season in Europe.

He scored 52 goals in Man City’s 2022-23 treble and would have been a shoo-in any other year that didn’t coincide with Messi’s for-the-ages World Cup win. Could history repeat itself?