Ballon d’Or 2027 Power Rankings

Harry Kane recently won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, but it’s already time to look forward to what the next year of football will bring.

More importantly, who will be in contention for the prestigious individual prize in 12 months’ time?

Much of that will hinge on which teams claim the biggest trophies, including league titles and the Champions League.

In the past, the prestigious individual accolade was based on the performance of players across a calendar year. However, the votes are now based on the results of the season.

Despite being a full year away from the 2027 ceremony, we’ve listed – and ranked – the players who are best placed to win the Ballon d’Or based on their respective teams’ chances of success as well as their early-season form.

Ranking factors

We’ve determined the order based on the following:

• Goals scored
• Assists
• Clean sheets (if defensive-minded)
• Trophies won/challenged for (expected to)
• Big moments in the 2026/27 season
• General form

10

Desire Doue

Paris Saint-Germain and France

REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

Desire Doue already looks like he’s stepping up and becoming one of the most important players Luis Enrique has at PSG. With Bradley Barcola gone and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia absent for several months, the 21-year-old will be crucial.

He finished 14th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or and will be looking to improve on that next year. Having missed out on the 30 nominees in 2026, Doue has started the new season with eight goal contributions in 11 appearances for the French champions.

9

Ousmane Dembele

Paris Saint-Germain & France

Will Ousmane Dembele regain the Ballon d’Or and join the exclusive club of players who have won the award more than once? If he can get back to the form that saw him crowned in 2025, there’s every chance.

PSG are aiming for three Champions League titles in a row, and Dembele will now be vital to those plans with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sidelined long-term. He’s never been the most clinical in front of goal and only has four goals this season so far, but the France international brings pace, skill and technical ability to any team he plays for.

8

Declan Rice

Arsenal & England

Is there a better all-action midfielder or set-piece maestro in world football right now? Except for his compatriot Jude Bellingham, the Arsenal and England star has no equal as things stand. Nobody is questioning that £100 million transfer fee now, following his big-money transfer from West Ham in 2023.

Rice inspired Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2004 and was desperately hoping to follow that triumph with World Cup glory this summer. If he can repeat his form during the current season, he will reinforce his status as one of the world’s best midfielders.

7

Erling Haaland

Manchester City & Norway

REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Erling Haaland is going to be under the microscope even more in the coming months. He’ll need to block out the noise at Manchester City to continue his unbelievable form in front of goal.

The Norwegian became one of the most popular players in the world after taking the 2026 World Cup by storm. His big personality and inevitability make him a likeable footballer.

It’s rare to see Man City or Norway play a game without Haaland finding the back of the net. That has continued into the 2026-27 season, as he’s already on 14 goals for his club in all competitions.

6

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich & England

Image: REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

England’s first Ballon d’Or winner since Michael Owen in 2001, Harry Kane was crowned the world’s best footballer in October 2026 after another magnificent year with Bayern Munich and England.

The England captain became his nation’s top goalscorer in 2023, as well as reaching second place in the all-time Premier League scoring charts after scoring an incredible 213 times for Tottenham. His move to Bayern has been a roaring success to date, as he’s managed to win back-to-back Bundesliga titles.

Kane looks set for another stellar campaign in 2026/27. He’s already scored 10 times for Bayern Munich, while he starred for England in the first international break of the season, hitting the back of the net six times in four matches, including braces against Croatia and the Czech Republic.

5

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid and England

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Jude Bellingham may have struggled to produce his best form for Real Madrid week-in, week-out last season, but the all-action midfielder re-announced himself on the biggest stage at the 2026 World Cup.

While that tournament won’t be relevant for the 2027 Ballon d’Or, it proves Bellingham is capable of producing magic, while also possessing the ‘clutch’ gene. If Jose Mourinho can help him get back to his best consistently, the former Birmingham City youngster will be in contention for the biggest awards in 12 months’ time.

He’s started the 2026/27 campaign brilliantly. After an outstanding performance in England’s 7-0 rout of Croatia in the Nations League, Roy Keane said that he could go on to become one of the greatest players ever.

4

Raphinha

Barcelona and Brazil

Caean Couto (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Raphinha is one of the players who can feel most hard done by after being left out of the 2026 nominees altogether. The Brazilian has been brilliant for several years at Camp Nou, and has even transitioned into a new role seamlessly.

Having previously played on both flanks, the versatile forward has taken to the centre-forward role exceptionally well. Raphinha already has 15 La Liga goals to his name in 2026-27, and 19 in all competitions. His red-hot form makes him an early favourite for next year’s award.

3

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich & France

Michael Olise will certainly be in the mix if he keeps his breathtaking form up in 2027. The Frenchman broke the World Cup assists record in 2026, proving his worth as one of the best playmakers on the planet.

Having finished ninth in the voting for the 2026 award, Olise will be aiming for the podium at least next year. His cool demeanour allows the winger to remain composed in high-pressure situations. A skill many other Ballon d’Or winners have possessed.

Olise has started the 2026-27 season with a bang, earning Man of the Match as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup. Weeks later, he earned another Man of the Match award after scoring two brilliant goals in Bayern’s Champions League opener against Bodo/Glimt.

He also caught the eye with a hat-trick and two assists in a 7-0 league win over Union Berlin before scoring two superb goals in Zinedine Zidane’s first two games as France boss.

2

Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid & France

REUTERS/Juan Barbosa

Kylian Mbappe has long been destined for the Ballon d’Or. The French forward has been touted as a future successor to Messi and Ronaldo, two of the greatest football players of all time – but now in his mid-20s, he’s edging closer to cementing his status as the world’s best footballer with an absurd amount of goals to his name season-on-season.

Mbappe, who scored 256 times for Paris Saint-Germain across 305 appearances, took a few months to get going at Real Madrid. But after finding the net 58 times for club and country in the 2025-26 season, there are few better finishers in world football. He already has double-figure goals in 2026–27.

Real Madrid have missed out on the biggest trophies in recent seasons, which has harmed Mbappe’s chances at the biggest individual prize. If he can end his wait for Champions League glory, the sharp-shooting Frenchman will be at the front of the queue once again in 2027.

1

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona & Spain

REUTERS/Pablo Morano

Despite narrowly missing out in 2026, Lamine Yamal could still become the youngest-ever winner of the award next year. His remarkable ability, combined with his superstardom, makes him something of a shoo-in in years to come.

Having already put one of the biggest clubs in Europe on his back since he was 15 and helped lead his country to a European Championship at 16, Yamal is clearly a fearless individual who embodies the phrase “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

Barcelona’s performance in the Champions League could play a big part in Yamal’s fate. He’s also started the 2026-27 campaign with Barcelona and Spain in scintillating form and is looking worthy of the Lionel Messi successor label.

Useful Links