Harry Kane Leads 2026 Ballon d’Or Race After Bayern and England Heroics
Harry Kane has moved to the front of the 2026 Ballon d’Or race after a remarkable Bayern Munich campaign and another prolific World Cup for England. The striker delivered 73 goals and eight assists as Bayern won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup, then struck six times during England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals. England’s failure to reach the final has left room for rivals, but Kane’s combination of goals, trophies and all-round influence has made him the leading candidate ahead of the ceremony in London on Monday, October 26.
The race remains unusually open in the post-Messi and Ronaldo era, with the Champions League, World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations all shaping the voting. Ousmane Dembele claimed the 2025 award after helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first European Cup, but the Frenchman faces a far tougher task in retaining it despite another major club season.
World Cup winners reshape the contest
Spain’s World Cup triumph has boosted several contenders. Lamine Yamal finished with 26 goals and 21 assists while helping Barcelona retain La Liga and lift the Supercopa de Espana. The teenager’s club season was disrupted by injury, and he did not dominate the World Cup individually, but he still showed flashes of his exceptional quality as Spain won the trophy.
Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner in the World Cup final in New Jersey, the defining moment of Spain’s campaign. He registered 25 goals and seven assists across the season, contributed to Barcelona’s domestic title defence and made a quick impact after joining PSG. His wider World Cup form was less convincing before the final, but the decisive strike gives his candidacy weight.
Pau Cubarsi may have been Spain’s surprise tournament star. The 19-year-old centre-back won the Best Young Player award after anchoring a defence that allowed only 10 shots on target and one goal throughout the competition. Cubarsi finished the season with one goal, two assists and 26 clean sheets, adding the World Cup to La Liga and Supercopa success with Barcelona.
Rodri also returned to the elite end of the conversation. Fitness problems and the after-effects of the ACL injury that derailed his 2024 Ballon d’Or defence limited his Manchester City form, even as City won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. But Spain’s captain was named World Cup Player of the Tournament as La Roja secured their second global crown. He ended the campaign with two goals.
Fabian Ruiz collected more major honours than any other player in 2025-26, despite missing a substantial stretch of PSG’s season through injury. His three goals and six assists came alongside the World Cup, Champions League, Ligue 1, Trophee des Champions, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Ruiz entered Spain’s side during the World Cup knockouts and maintained an unbeaten record of more than 50 appearances for the national team, having also been part of their Euro 2024-winning squad.
Lionel Messi remains in the running at 39 after another extraordinary year for Inter Miami and Argentina. He drove Miami to their first MLS Cup, won a second consecutive MLS MVP award and produced six goals plus seven assists in six play-off games. Messi then scored eight World Cup goals and added four assists, taking his overall return to 44 goals and 30 assists, though Argentina fell short of retaining the title.
Kylian Mbappe’s 58-goal, 14-assist season came without silverware for Real Madrid, who faded after the forward suffered a knee injury and struggled to regain full fitness. Yet Mbappe again excelled on the World Cup stage, scoring 10 times to claim a historic second Golden Boot. The 27-year-old remains without a Ballon d’Or despite years of expectation that he would eventually win it.
Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez scored 30 goals and supplied 10 assists as Inter won Serie A and the Coppa Italia, even after their embarrassing Champions League exit against Bodo/Glimt. He finished three goals clear at the top of the Italian scoring chart and scored key World Cup goals, including the semi-final winner against England. Argentina did not use him in the final, opting for a more defensive approach.
Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid season was interrupted twice by injury, but his World Cup performances restored his standing. The midfielder scored seven goals as England reached the semi-finals, including winning doubles against Mexico and Norway in the knockout rounds. His campaign total was 15 goals and six assists.
Declan Rice played through injury and illness at times during England’s World Cup run, but remained influential on their route to the last four. At club level, his eight goals and 15 assists helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final, with his ball-carrying, defensive work and dead-ball delivery central to their progress.
European champions still have a major say
PSG’s second successive Champions League win has kept a group of Paris players in contention. Dembele overcame an injury-hit first half of the season to make decisive knockout-stage interventions against Liverpool and Bayern Munich, then scored in the final victory over Arsenal. He posted 25 goals and 14 assists and added six World Cup goals for France, including a hat-trick against Norway, but other France players made a stronger overall impression in North America.
Vitinha was named Player of the Match in the Champions League final after another season controlling PSG’s midfield. The Portuguese international added seven goals and 10 assists while winning Ligue 1, the Champions League, Trophee des Champions, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Portugal, however, disappointed at the World Cup and went out to Spain in the last 16.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the outstanding performer across the Champions League knockout rounds, becoming the first player to score or assist in seven consecutive ties in that phase. The PSG winger’s 23 goals and 10 assists helped deliver the same five trophies as Vitinha, but Georgia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup may restrict his final placing despite his exceptional European run.
Achraf Hakimi returned from injury in time to play a full role in PSG’s Champions League final win and completed the season with four goals, 18 assists and 21 clean sheets. Morocco were subsequently awarded the Africa Cup of Nations after CAF overturned the outcome of a controversial final, although Senegal have appealed that decision. Hakimi also featured prominently as Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Michael Olise’s move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has continued to look inspired. The 24-year-old recorded 26 goals and 41 assists as Bayern completed their domestic treble, while his Champions League displays included a standout quarter-final against Real Madrid, capped by a goal in the return leg. He established himself in France’s starting side and provided a record seven assists during their World Cup campaign.
Luis Diaz has flourished since Liverpool accepted Bayern’s €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) offer for the Colombian. Having helped Liverpool win the 2024-25 Premier League, Diaz formed a potent partnership with Kane in Munich and finished on 30 goals and 27 assists. Bayern again fell short in Europe, while Colombia lost to Switzerland on penalties in the World Cup last 16, but Diaz supplied several decisive moments at both club and international level.
Erling Haaland finished with 58 goals and 11 assists as Manchester City won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and pushed Arsenal hard in the title fight. His difficult opening months of 2026 coincided with City’s Champions League elimination, but Haaland regained his form and scored seven times as Norway reached a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. It was Norway’s first appearance at the tournament since 1998.
Vinicius Junior endured a difficult 2025 at Real Madrid, scoring only eight La Liga goals during the calendar year, but he revived his form early in 2026. Four goals in six Champions League knockout games underlined his return to sharpness, even though Madrid finished empty-handed. Vinicius registered 28 goals and 16 assists overall, then struck four times for Brazil at the World Cup before their last-16 exit.
Gabriel Magalhaes was a key figure in Arsenal’s Premier League-winning defence, adding four goals, six assists and 31 clean sheets. His threat from set pieces and forceful defending made him arguably more influential than fellow centre-back William Saliba over the campaign. However, Gabriel missed a penalty in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat and Brazil exited the World Cup relatively early.
The final voting will weigh club achievement against the impact of the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. Spain’s champions, PSG’s European winners and Bayern’s attacking stars all have compelling cases, but Kane’s output has left him with the strongest claim as the Ballon d’Or decision approaches.
