The World Cup is over, and Spain have been crowned champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final. The Spanish team, which included recent Real Madrid signing Marc Cucurella, played some exquisite football throughout the tournament. So, needless to say, there’s a good chance that a player from that team makes it into the Ballon d'Or top three, or even goes on to win it.
However, there were several other top players from other nations as well who have strengthened their claim to the Ballon d’Or this year after the world cup. Here is an updated list of the power rankings for the 2026 award.
10. Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has taken the world by storm with his performances at the World Cup. Be it in attack or defence, the Real Madrid superstar was everywhere. He ended his campaign as England's top scorer with seven goals to his name despite being a midfielder. The Three Lions finished third after beating France in the third-place playoff.
That said, it is worth mentioning that Bellingham’s underwhelming club statistics this season are what will hurt his chances of getting his hands on the award. Although Bellingham was out of action for quite some time due to injury, he scored eight goals and provided five assists in all competitions for Real Madrid.
9. Lionel Messi
Messi, who surely knows a thing or two about winning the Ballon d'Or, is unsurprisingly on the list after leading his nation to a second-place finish at the World Cup. Although Argentina's campaign wasn't without its controversies, scoring eight goals and providing four assists is no easy feat.
Nevertheless, apart from this tournament, Messi doesn't have much to strengthen his claim to the award. There are certainly some other candidates who have a stronger report card.
8. Michael Olise
Olise had a breakthrough campaign this season. The Bayern Munich superstar, who has been loosely linked with Real Madrid, won the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup and DFB-Pokal while scoring 22 goals and providing 31 assists. Unfortunately, he failed to find the back of the net at the World Cup but finished with seven assists, the highest in the competition.
7. Ousmane Dembele
The current Ballon d'Or holder won the Champions League this season, along with Ligue 1 and the French Super Cup. Winning the World Cup would have surely increased his chances of securing the Ballon d'Or once again. Even without it, Dembele is still a strong candidate for the award after showcasing some brilliant football throughout the season for PSG and France.
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Kvaratskhelia would have made it into the top three had it not been for the World Cup this year. He was incredible for PSG and was one of the key reasons behind their back-to-back UCL triumphs. The Georgian winger made 49 appearances for the Ligue 1 club in all competitions and scored 19 goals along with 11 assists.
Unfortunately, Georgia missed out on World Cup qualification, which might ultimately prove to be the main reason the 25-year-old winger misses out on the Ballon d'Or.
5. Erling Haaland
Haaland is probably the best pure number nine in the world right now. The Norwegian was flying at the World Cup and produced a masterclass by knocking five-time champions Brazil out of the tournament. Norway's dream run came to an end against England, but the Manchester City forward etched his name into fans' memories with seven goals and one assist in just five appearances. It remains to be seen if that will be enough for a place in the Ballon d'Or top three.
4. Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe finds his best form in the World Cup and, this time as well, he didn't disappoint. The Frenchman won the Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals in the tournament. Additionally, Mbappe emerged as the top scorer in other major competitions as well, including La Liga and the Champions League. That said, Mbappe doesn't have any trophies to show for this season, which might make it difficult for him to win the Ballon d'Or.
3. Lamine Yamal
Yamal has been one of the top-performing youngsters over the past two seasons. The Spaniard finished second in the Ballon d'Or race last year. This time as well, there's a good chance he will make it into the top three again, especially after Spain's World Cup triumph. His World Cup performance did fall a bit short of expectations. He finished the tournament with just one goal and one assist.
2. Harry Kane
Kane had the best season of his career this campaign. He scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich and another 12 for England, including six in the World Cup, taking his tally to a whopping 73 goals.
On top of these numbers, Kane also won the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup and DFB-Pokal with his club, while England finished third at the World Cup. So, in conclusion, Kane has a good chance of finally winning the Ballon d'Or.
1. Rodri
A name Real Madrid fans don't have fond memories of when it comes to the Ballon d'Or. He controversially finished above Vinicius Junior in 2024. However, this time the equation is a whole lot different.
Rodri was named the Best Player of the World Cup and received the Golden Ball award as Spain lifted the trophy after a flawless victory over Argentina. What's more, the Spanish side conceded just one goal throughout the entire tournament. So it's safe to say that the Manchester City midfielder played his role brilliantly in defensive midfield. There's a real possibility of him edging out Kane in the race for football's most coveted individual award and winning it once again.
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