Updated Men's Ballon d'Or Rankings After 2026 FIFA World Cup
Normally, the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year is settled after the tournament, but this year feels different.
Is there a standout performer after Spain's win? Or will our list have a surprise at No. 1? Find out by reading below.
Disagree with our experts? Let us know in the comments section of the app.
Previous ranking here
8. Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain and France
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Previous rank: 8th
Ahead of the World Cup, reigning Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembélé had a great chance of earning the honor for a second consecutive year.
It was all going so well at the start of the tournament, too, with France looking dominant and Dembélé scoring five goals before the semifinal against Spain.
However, with Les Bleus' limp exit at the hands of La Furia Roja, his chances of a famous Ballon d'Or repeat effectively went out the window.
He still finished the tournament with six goals—good for fifth on the Golden Boot charts—and two assists, and his club season with Paris Saint-Germain brought a second straight Champions League title and yet another Ligue 1 gong.
All in all, though, it's just not enough to claim the highest individual honor in club football a second time, especially since he missed a lot of PSG's campaign because of injuries.
- Leo Collis
7. Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid and England
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Previous rank: New entry
Jude Bellingham has proved he is the man for the big occasions. His performance in the Azteca against Mexico in the round of 16 will go down as one of the greatest ever in an England shirt, and scoring the equaliser and winner against Norway six days later added to his hero status.
That his team once again came up short in the latter stages of a major tournament will likely preclude him from seriously challenging for the Ballon d'Or this time around, but even putting himself among the contenders after a disappointing club season with Real Madrid is an impressive feat.
At 23 years old, there is plenty of time for Bellingham to usurp others higher on this list. He's just two years removed from registering 25 La Liga goal involvements for Real Madrid while playing as a central attacking player.
Those numbers are unlikely to be repeated now that he tends to play deeper, but Bellingham can continue to grow as a conductor and playmaker. If that happens, his ability to affect games in every phase will be frightening.
- Calum Rogers
6. Michael Olise, Bayern Munich and France
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Previous rank: 4
Michael Olise's World Cup campaign with France might not have ended with a trophy, but it did confirm one thing: The 24-year-old can now be placed in the world-class bracket.
Almost effortlessly, the Bayern Munich winger racked up seven assists in eight games at the tournament, striking up a deadly understanding with Kylian Mbappé that really should have carried Les Bleus to the final.
Alas, it was not to be, with France coming undone against Spain in the semifinal and Olisé having his worst game of the tournament. While that was an ultimately critical blip, it shouldn't detract from his tournament as a whole.
His club season was one for the ages, too, scoring 22 goals and adding 31 assists in all competitions for Bayern Munich on the way to a Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal, and the German Supercup.
For now, a Ballon d'Or is just out of reach for Olise, but another season like this one with a Champions League title at the end of it might be enough to claim the honor next year.
- Leo Collis
5. Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid and France
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Previous rank: 7th
In our most recent list of Ballon d'Or contenders, we spotlighted Kylian Mbappé's potential to boost his prospects with a breathtaking World Cup, and he certainly did that.
Mbappé finished as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals, and up until he and the entire French team appeared to freeze against Spain in the semi-finals, he was the undoubted leader of a squad that looked destined to win the whole thing.
A disappointing club season with Real Madrid left Mbappé needing to win the tournament and be one of its best players if he hoped to secure a first Ballon d'Or. He certainly accomplished the latter, and at 27 years old he already has a claim as the greatest World Cup player ever, but France's failure will likely see him overlooked once again.
Mbappé's wait to win this trophy comes down to existing in the same time period as Lionel Messi and failing to replicate the consistency of his international performances at club level. If he can prove to be this decisive in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga, then he will be firmly in contention in the coming years.
- Calum Rogers
4. Rodri, Manchester City and Spain
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Previous rank: New entry
The sequel to Rodri's Ballon d'Or-winning 2023-24 season was unfortunate, with the Spanish general featuring in just four games in all competitions because of a hamstring injury and then a cruciate ligament tear.
After such severe fitness problems, it seemed unlikely that the defensive midfielder would ever return to anything close to his best.
However, when he reclaimed his starting spot in the Manchester City XI in January, he proved the difference in a team that had otherwise sputtered up to that point. From January 24 to April 19, he was a crucial part of a side that went unbeaten and sealed a crucial 2-1 victory over Arsenal that kept the title race alive almost to the last day.
While that obviously didn't result in league silverware, he still claimed a Carabao Cup and FA Cup double, putting City back on the trophy path that had seemingly been lost during his absence in the previous campaign.
Of course, the reason Rodri has forced his way back into the Ballon d'Or reckoning is his performances at the World Cup with Spain. The 30-year-old started every game on the way to the final, showcasing his battling abilities while shielding a back line that conceded just once throughout the competition.
Those efforts led him to a much-deserved Golden Ball award for the best player at the tournament, demonstrating that true class on the pitch isn't always shown by counting stats alone.
Rodri's case is harmed by the lack of a Premier League or Champions League title last season, but a World Cup triumph and a huge individual honor put him in the conversation.
- Leo Collis
3. Lamine Yamal, FC Barcelona and Spain
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Previous rank: 6th
It's just getting silly now.
At 19 years of age, Lamine Yamal has been a star player in Spain teams that have won the Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026 titles, and in Barcelona sides that have claimed two La Liga titles, two Supercoppas and a Copa del Rey.
In 2025-26, he scored 16 goals and provided 12 assists on the way to domestic league glory with the Blaugrana. He also notched six and laid on four more as Barcelona reached the Champions League semifinal.
While his season with the national team has been blighted by injury—he even entered the World Cup off the back of a muscle tear—he eventually came to life in North America, providing an assist in the semifinal against France and proving a constant threat in the final.
It's frankly scary to consider what this young man could go on to achieve, and the World Cup final against Lionel Messi's Argentina provided a symbolic moment to show the direction the GOAT conversation will take next.
Yamal still has a long way to go to get to that status, of course. But he's got every chance of clinching the Ballon d'Or this year, and once he picks up his first, it might not take him long to reach Messi's record total of eight.
- Leo Collis
2. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and Argentina
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Previous: New entry
Lionel Messi didn't factor into our previous list of contenders, but a sensational World Cup performance vaulted him into strong consideration prior to the final.
It was a surprising development, but the market has shifted quite drastically again in the wake of Argentina's defeat. Messi is still second favourite, though, and while his claim is weakened by spending most of his year playing against a lower level of competition in MLS, he shouldn't be ruled out.
This wouldn't be the first time a major honour has been controversially bestowed on an aging legend after all, and at the risk of getting sidetracked into a discussion over the 1993 Best Actor Oscar, maybe it's just fine that a little sentimentality makes its way into proceedings from time to time. If anyone has earned that privilege, it's Messi.
He was also spectacular at the World Cup. Messi would've finished as the tournament's joint-top scorer if you exclude a meaningless third-place playoff game, and his match-winning assist in the semi-final showcased that all the skills and determination that have carried him to eight previous Ballons d'Or remain.
Is it fair to condense an entire year's worth of achievements into a six-week tournament? Perhaps not. But performances on the biggest stage have previously carried others to this award, and Messi stood head and shoulders above many of his competitors when it mattered most.
- Calum Rogers
1. Harry Kane, Bayern Munich and England
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Previous rank: 1st
Harry Kane entered the World Cup as a Ballon d'Or favourite after scoring 31 goals in 2026, and he remains among the leading candidates after the World Cup.
Kane did little to harm his chances of taking the trophy in scoring six goals for a team that made the semi-finals, but things feel more uncertain because of others' brilliance.
World Cup years tend to favor those who perform when the lights shine brightest, and Kane failed to register a goal or provide much in terms of threat from the Round of 16 onward.
The 32-year-old has often been accused of failing to rise to these sorts of occasions, and it may be that the England captain will have to settle for being remembered as one of the sport's greatest goalscorers rather than one of its greatest players.
That's nothing to be sneered at, though, and there is still time for him to add to an already absurd goal tally to further persuade voters. In a year without a standout candidate, that might just be enough to win the award.
- Calum Rogers
