The race to become the next Ballon d’Or winner is heating up, with all the likely candidates still competing with their nations in the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup. It’s a well-known fact that in a World Cup year, the performances and trophies during a club season are still important, but the major summer tournament has extra weight behind it.
Lionel Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or after winning the World Cup with Argentina, even though he certainly did not have the greatest season with PSG. Haaland, on the other hand, broke the Premier League record for goals in a single season, was the Champions League top goalscorer, and won the European treble with Manchester City. All of which was trumped by the Argentinians’ World Cup triumph. There is the argument that it’s not all about stats and trophies, but more about the individual quality of a player. However, that’s a debate for another day. Let’s take a look at the players looking to win football’s most prestigious individual trophy.
5. Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami, Forward, 39 years old)
The magic man. Heading into this World Cup, there was no world in which we could potentially see Messi winning his ninth Ballon d’Or. However, the way this tournament is shaping up so far, things have drastically changed. We can talk about stats in the MLS all we want, but the only thing that matters for Messi in this Ballon d’Or race is this summer’s performances. The Argentinian started the tournament in style with a hat trick against Algeria, taking him level with Miroslav Klose for the World Cup goalscoring record. Austria up next, and Messi bagged a brace, moving him two clear of Klose and becoming the highest goalscorer in World Cup history. He even missed a penalty that game, denying him back-to-back hat tricks. This allowed him to rest for the final group stage game against Jordan. However, obviously, this didn’t stop him from getting on the scoresheet. Subbed on in the 59th minute, there was always time for some Messi magic. A trademark free kick with 10 minutes to go took his tally up to 6 goals in the group stage alone.
A goal in a Round of 32 game for the ages against Cape Verde, before facing Egypt in the Round of 16. This is the game that has kept Messi in with a shout. Regardless of the noise around the manner in which Argentina have won, the defending champions progressed to the next round. 1-0 down, penalty to Argentina, Messi stepped up and missed. This was the second time he took a penalty in the tournament, and unfortunately, he missed both attempts. Egypt scored a second with just over 20 minutes of normal time to be played. Argentina seemed down and out, but Messi came alive, assisting Romero in the 79th minute with an inch-perfect cross that inspired a comeback. Only four minutes later, a ball fell to him in the box on the volley, and he hit it sweetly in off the crossbar.
Argentina went on to win it 3-2, completing one of the all-time World Cup comebacks. Messi was in tears of relief, stating he felt as if he “let everyone down” with the penalty miss. He currently sits first in the World Cup golden boot table with 8 goals. Switzerland up next for the Argentinian legend, can he continue to make a claim for his ninth Ballon d’Or?
4. Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City, Forward, 25 years old)
Haaland has yet again had an incredible goal-scoring season. In Manchester City colours, Erling scored 27 in 35 Premier League games, while assisting 8, once again winning the golden boot. Including all competitions, the Norwegian scored an outstanding 38 goals in 52 games over the campaign. If this were any other player in the world, this would be considered a monumental individual season. However, Haaland has set the bar so high for himself with his freakish numbers each year. In his debut season, he broke the Premier League record for goals in a single season (36) and the most goals by a Premier League player in all competitions in a single season (52). So even though by any other player this would be a phenomenal season, for Haaland this is nothing special. City fans would admit that his overall performance last season was not the greatest, but then came the World Cup.
Norway have become the dark horses many people predicted, and the big 6′ 5″ striker has played a major role in this. The Norwegians have made it to the quarter-finals for the first time in the country’s history, after beating Brazil in the last 16. This game was Haaland’s statement performance of the tournament. He led his country to a 2-1 victory over Brazil, scoring two brilliantly executed goals—one a signature bullet header and the other a casual strike into the bottom corner from outside the box. Haaland currently has 7 goals at the tournament, just one behind Messi (8 goals) in the golden boot race. How far can he take Norway, and can they potentially do the unthinkable?
3. Michael Olise (France/Bayern Munich, Forward, 24 years old)
Olise shone this season in Germany and seems to have taken himself to another level, growing into one of the best players in the world. The Frenchman helped Bayern Munich to both a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal title, finishing the club season with 53 goal contributions (22 goals, 31 assists) in 52 games. In a team featuring Harry Kane having the best season of his career stats-wise, Olise won the Bundesliga player of the season award. In the Champions League, game after game, Olise produced world-class performances. Heading into this World Cup, it appeared that Olise and Kane were almost in a two-horse race for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
While Olise hasn’t harmed his chances, others have improved their positions in this World Cup, including a certain French teammate of his. This is not to say Olise has not been utterly brilliant this tournament. He currently sits at the top of the assist table with five in the six games he has played. France are favourites to at least make it to the final, so there is plenty of time for Olise to make his stamp and potentially win a World Cup golden ball!
2. Kylian Mbappe (France/Real Madrid, Forward, 27 years old)
It’s been a peculiar season for Mbappe. On an individual level, the French superstar has had a great season, certainly much better than his last. However, as a team, Real Madrid have not been anywhere near the level that their highly demanding fan base would want. It is now back-to-back seasons that Real Madrid have gone trophy-less, which is almost unheard of under the watch of president Florentino Pérez. Individually, Mbappe performed at a Real Madrid level. The Frenchman produced 49 goal contributions in 44 games (42 goals, 7 assists) over the course of the season. In the Champions League, he scored four more goals than he played games (11 games, 15 goals). An outstanding season for Mbappe, but without the silverware to back it up, it was never going to be enough to win his first Ballon d’Or.
Luckily for the striker, the season ends with the World Cup. Since winning it in 2018 as a teenager, Mbappe has become Mr. World Cup, seemingly reaching his highest levels at each one. This summer has been no different. Mbappe’s performances have been up there with his best, and he is reminding the world why he was always tipped to be the successor to Messi and Ronaldo as the best on the planet. In this tournament, the Real Madrid man currently sits on 8 goals, level with Messi, and has three assists to add to his goalscoring tally.
We know Mbappe thrives in the biggest games, with the final in Qatar four years ago being the greatest example. Scoring a hat trick in a World Cup final was an enormous feat, despite him ending up on the losing side. Surely if he can replicate this and come away with his second World Cup, the Ballon d’Or will be his. Can he make it to back-to-back-to-back World Cup finals?
1. Harry Kane (England/Bayern Munich, Forward, 32 years old)
Kane is the current favourite for the Ballon d’Or this season, and a lot of people will feel it has been a long time coming. Throughout his career, Harry Kane has routinely dropped incredible goal-scoring seasons. However, his loyalty to Tottenham is probably what held his reputation back a little and prevented him from being up there with the likes of Messi and Ronaldo in Ballon d’Or conversations. The argument of some football fans was that he scores so many goals, but where are his trophies to show for it? Unfortunately for him, Tottenham never spent the money to build a team around him to compete regularly for major trophies. Then his move to Bayern happened. Maybe this is when the football world started to appreciate him as one of the best on the planet.
Though Premier League fans will tell you, he continued where he left off. This season has been one of the best campaigns a striker has had in the history of the game. Kane has outscored Ronaldo’s best-ever goal tally in a single season, and is now only second to Messi for goals in a single season this century! Being sandwiched between those two legends is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Englishman has scored more goals than he has played games in each club competition this season (61 goals, 51 games), while also contributing 7 assists. One of his standout performances for Bayern Munich came against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final, in which he carried the Bavarian club to a 3-0 win, scoring all three. Even with an extraordinary season for Bayern, it does seem that a standout World Cup is needed for the striker to win a Ballon d’Or.
Kane currently sits on 6 goals and 1 assist this tournament, and along with Jude Bellingham has been a clear standout player in the England team. The Bayern Munich player showed the world what he is capable of once again in England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo. His side was 1-0 down and looked out of ideas, and up stepped Harry Kane. The striker scored a header to draw level before grabbing a winner, which was a special strike from just inside the box into the roof of the net. If England progresses further in the tournament and Kane continues to excel, a first Ballon d’Or for the boy from London will likely be on the cards.
