The race for the Ballon d’Or 2026 has oficially started after the UEFA Champions League reached its semi-finals with four clubs left namely Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munchen, Athletico Madrid and Arsenal.
Ousmane Dembele of PSG was the ultimate winner last year after a very stellar season with the French outfit, spearheading it to five trophies in a season, including the UEFA Champions League, the French league title, and a couple of others.
The current crop of players in the UCL semis top the list of contenders for the prestigious award, usually given out by French football.
Ballon d’Or favourites
ENigeria Newspaper has compiled a list of ten (10) players to win Ballon d’Or 2026.
1. Kane Harry
The England captain has been in great shape, scoring important goals all through the Champions League knockout rounds. He was especially important in the quarter-finals, when he led the charge to get rid of Real Madrid. He is also a great finisher in domestic competitions, where he is currently the top scorer in all of Europe’s major leagues with an impressive 35 goals.
2. Micheal Olise
Olise’s club performances have helped him get a starting spot on the Bayern Munchen and France team, even though there is a lot of competition for spots. He has scored 19 goals and assisted 31 others, The 24-year-old has become one of the most dangerous forwards in the German top flight and in Europe. He can score goals as well as make them for others.
3. Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal is the another favorite to win the Ballon d’Or this season, and he is on track to become the first player under 21 to win it. Barcelona, on the other hand, lost in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so Yamal may need to rely heavily on his performances for Spain at the World Cup if he wants to win the Ballon d’Or.
4. Mbappé Kylian
Despite fierce competition this season, Mbappé, a consistent Ballon d’Or contender, continues to be a pivotal player with his speed, goals, and influence in crucial games. With 25 goals, Mbappe is behind Kane as the top goal scorer in the major league. With 15 goals, he is also the top scorer in the UCL.
5. Ousmane Dembele
Dembele’s ability to contribute to PSG’s season has been hampered by injuries, thus retaining his Ballon d’Or title is essentially already out of the question. However, he has shown flashes of his finest form, most notably with his double at Anfield to eliminate Liverpool from Europe, thus it is not impossible for him to push his way into the top 10 of the final rankings.
6. Liuz Diaz
The agile forward contributed significantly to the Reds’ 2024–25 title victory with 26 goals and 20 assists, but his desire for a new challenge forced them to accept a €75 million (£65.5 million/$88 million) proposal from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.
After reaching a good understanding with Harry Kane and his Bayern teammates, Diaz hasn’t looked back. His double to defeat PSG in the Champions League in November was the kind of game-winning performance that attracts Ballon d’Or voters, even though it also resulted in a red card. Some of his Bundesliga goals have been breathtaking.
7. Vitinha
Vitinha has undoubtedly performed in a similar manner for a large portion of the season as he did the previous year, when he placed on the Ballon d’Or podium. He has even improved his game by adding more goals and assists, as evidenced by his hat-trick against Tottenham in the Champions League in November.
This summer, he will also be a member of a Portugal team that genuinely believes they can win the World Cup after winning the 2025 Nations League. If they do, Vitinha will probably have been instrumental.
8. Julian Alvarez
Even though Julian Alvarez’s season has been up and down, the former Manchester City player will have more chances to shine on the continent now that Atleti Madrid has advanced to the semi-finals. Alvarez’s spectacular free-kick against Barcelona in the first leg of their quarterfinal was his fifth goal in as many European appearances. In September, Alvarez scored a brace to help Atletico Madrid defeat Real Madrid in the derby. But since that match, he has only scored twice in La Liga, thus it looked impossible for him to win the Ballon d’Or again.
9. Declan Rice
With his outstanding performances, Rice is now one of the Gunners’ most crucial players as they pursue not just the Premier League crown but also their first-ever Champions League victory.
Rice is a guaranteed starter for a Thomas Tuchel-led England team that appears capable of ending 60 years of suffering by winning the 2026 World Cup thanks to his driving runs, defensive efforts, and set-piece deliveries.
10. Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland improved well at the start of the current season after a lackluster season by his own high standards. He became Manchester City’s one-man battering ram as they sought to re-establish themselves as contenders for the major prizes. However, a lackluster start to 2026 threatened to end both Haaland’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or and City’s prospects of winning a trophy when they were eliminated from the Champions League. Since then, they have recovered, winning the Carabao Cup before Haaland scored a hat-trick to maintain their chances of winning the FA Cup. They are still very close to Arsenal in the Premier League.
