Posted by Chinenye on Wed 14th Oct, 2026 - tori.ng
A young Barcelona star is now leading the race for one of footballs biggest awards, moving ahead of famous players like Harry Kane.
(Ballon d’Or. Photo by Vanguard News)
Lamine Yamal is now the leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, moving ahead of Harry Kane in The Independent's power rankings.
The ceremony is set for London on October 25.
The Barcelona forward is top after a strong season for club and country.
He reportedly scored 24 goals and made 18 assists last season as Barcelona won LaLiga.
He has also scored eight goals in his first eight games this season.
His goal in Spain's 3-2 Nations League win over England at Wembley added to his case.
Harry Kane is second.
He scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich last season, helping them win the league and cup double.
He also scored six goals at the World Cup, where England had its best finish since 1966.
Kane says the decision is now out of his hands.
Kylian Mbappe is third.
He was the top scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals.
He also scored 42 goals in 44 games last season and has eight goals in his first eight games this season.
Rodri is fourth.
He was named the best player at the World Cup, but he has played little for Barcelona since returning from injury.
Lionel Messi is fifth.
He scored eight goals at the World Cup as Argentina reached the final, where they lost to Spain.
He has won the award eight times.