The 2026 Ballon d’Or is within touching distance, and the race to be named best men’s player is tighter than ever.
In years gone by, the award has been a foregone conclusion, especially when Lionel Messi was at the peak of their powers, but there is little to separate the two leading players this time round.
Among the contenders this year is Spain and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who is also up for Young Talent of the Year, having taken home the last two awards in that category.
The teenager faces tough competition for the ultimate individual prize but is certainly one of the favourites to do so on Monday night.
Ahead of the London ceremony on October 26th, which you can watch live and free-to-air on DAZN, here’s the case for and against Lamine Yamal as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
The case for Lamine Yamal
We can count goals and analyse statistics until the cows come home, but if you’re looking for the most naturally gifted player in world football, then Yamal is your man.
Ever since we first caught eyes on the Catalonian in the red and blue stripes, it was evident that we had the successor to Messi and how fitting that he is born from the same academy.
You know the saying ‘all the tricks in the book’? Well, he illustrated that.
Yamal can do things with the round ball that others simply wish they could, and Barcelona have been profiting from that individual brilliance to excel as one of Europe’s most potent attacking sides.
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We don’t need to delve into his statistics, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt.
Last season, the winger notched 42 goal contributions for Barca as they won La Liga for a second successive term, as he was named La Liga Player of the Season.
This term has followed in the same vein, with 25 goal contributions for club and country, and the highlight reel is growing more ridiculous by the week.
Unfortunately for Yamal, his season ended prematurely with a muscle tear, meaning he missed the final six league games of the campaign and, crucially, it disrupted his World Cup.
Nonetheless, the winger still played his part as Spain lifted their second World Cup trophy in the USA to add another major title to his growing portfolio.
The case against Yamal
Yamal tasted significant success for club and country, but will his underwhelming World Cup come back to plague him?
The whole world was waiting for the teenager to spring into life this summer, and while he had his moments, he never delivered the performances we know he is capable of.
Of course, that injury played a cruel part, as the winger was gradually warmed into the competition by Luis de la Fuente and was overshadowed by Golden Ball winner Rodri.
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Or how about the consistent performances of his main contender for the award, Harry Kane?
If you are to believe all of the build-up talk heading into the Ballon d’Or, then it will be one of Yamal or Kane to win the accolade for the first time in their careers.
While Barca’s winger is all about flair and razzle-dazzle, the Bayern Munich hitman knows one thing: how to score goals.
The England striker boasts 74 goals for club and country in 2025-26, with only Messi bettering that tally in a single campaign in the modern era.
Like Yamal, it would be foolish to judge Kane on just numbers, as he has developed into an all-round striker, creating goals as well as scoring them and leading by example at all times.
If Yamal or Kane were to clinch the award, then they would be worthy winners, but there isn’t a better technician in the world right now than the boy from Barcelona.
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