The 2026 Ballon d'Or race is becoming more attractive than ever as the season closes with many highlights at both club and national team levels.
The achievements at the 2026 World Cup and the consistent form throughout the season have helped Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi become the five most prominent candidates for this prestigious individual title.
Harry Kane spent one of the best seasons of his career. The English striker scored 73 goals in 64 matches for Bayern Munich and the England national team, only behind Lionel Messi's record of 82 goals in the 2011-2012 season.
After many years of missing out on titles, Kane has added to his collection Bundesliga, German National Cup and German Super Cup. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored 6 goals, surpassing Gary Lineker to become England's number one scorer in World Cups, thereby consolidating his position in the Ballon d'Or race.
Meanwhile, at the age of 19, Lamine Yamal continues to amaze the world. Barcelona's talent became the first player to participate in both EURO and World Cup finals before the age of 20, and both lifted the championship trophy.
Although only scoring one goal at the World Cup, Yamal is still a factor that creates difference thanks to his dribbling ability, creativity and creating breakthroughs. Adding 24 goals and 18 assists to help Barcelona win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, the young Spanish star is considered a strong candidate.
Rodri also had a perfect playing year. After returning from a long-term injury, the Manchester City midfielder quickly regained his form and became the "soul" in the midfield of the Spanish national team.
The Man City midfielder is the player with the most passes in the 2026 World Cup, making a great contribution to helping La Roja concede only one goal throughout the tournament and win the championship. The World Cup championship and the Golden Ball title of the tournament further emphasize Rodri's collection of titles that already include EURO, Champions League and Golden Ball.
Kylian Mbappe also affirmed the class of one of the best strikers in the world. Although the French team only won third place at the World Cup, Mbappe still won the Golden Shoe with 10 goals and increased the total number of goals scored at the World Cups to 22, surpassing Messi.
At the club level, the French striker scored 42 goals in 44 matches, winning the La Liga and Champions League top scorer titles. However, going empty-handed in collective tournaments may put him at a disadvantage in the election.
And finally Messi, who still proves his class at the age of 39. Although Argentina lost in the World Cup final to Spain, the Inter Miami superstar still had an excellent tournament with a series of important goals and assists.
Messi scored a hat-trick in the opening match, continuously shined in the knockout round and showed his ability to explode at important moments. Although the opportunity to win the nineth Ballon d'Or is not rated as high as in previous years, Messi's presence in the top candidate group at the age of 39 is already proof of his greatness.
If the World Cup is considered a decisive factor, Harry Kane, Rodri and Yamal are holding the biggest advantage in this year's race. However, with the Ballon d'Or still depending on the perception of journalists around the world, the competition is still predicted to be very unpredictable until the results are announced.
