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The 2026 Ballon d’Or may have only just been handed out—Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane ending England’s 25-year wait for a winner—but the race for next year’s prize is already heating up.
Can the Englishman get his hands on the game’s biggest individual prize once again, or is it time for a new name to steal the spotlight and take home the coveted trophy?
It’s still early days in the 2026–27 season, so making any firm predictions would be a fool’s game. But several superstars are already making their intentions clear, whether by scoring goals for fun, running the show from midfield or delivering when the stakes are at their highest.
With the race beginning to take shape, we rank the early favorites to win the 2027 Ballon d’Or and break down why each has a genuine shot at claiming soccer’s most prestigious individual honor.
Before we get into the top 10, there are a few players who have enjoyed brilliant starts to the 2026–27 season and could comfortably work their way into Ballon d’Or contention if they maintain their current form.
Unsurprisingly, Paris Saint-Germain—who are hunting a third consecutive Champions League title—have stars making an early impression. Ousmane Dembélé is chief among them and has shown more than enough to remind us of his world-class quality. Unfortunately, teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has suffered a torn ACL and is unlikely to feature on the eventual 30-strong shortlist.
Over at Real Madrid, Vinícius Júnior will always be in the conversation, but it’s perhaps Yan Diomande who has emerged as the club’s surprise star so far. Signed from Leipzig in the summer, the young attacker arrived with plenty to prove. A string of stunning goals and a handful of eye-catching assists, however, have quickly silenced any doubters.
Elsewhere, Rayan Cherki is an outside contender if he can keep finding the net and producing moments of genius for Manchester City. England duo Declan Rice and Cole Palmer also deserve a mention, while Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí may be the only defender currently making a convincing case for a place among the frontrunners.
After a difficult 2025–26 season for Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham is looking back to his commanding best.
A force of nature in the middle of the park, the Englishman can power through opposition teams as if they aren’t even there. The goals and assists are flowing again, and he’s thriving under José Mourinho.
Kane may not be in quite the same imperious form for Bayern Munich at the start of the 2026–27 season as he was last term, but the Englishman remains one of the world’s elite strikers.
Not only is he a clinical finisher, capable of dispatching chances in just a couple of touches, but his link-up play and ability to drop deep and spray passes around are second to none.
We’re confident the goals will start flowing again soon.
Once considered something of a flop at Wolverhampton Wanderers, nobody is questioning Vitinha’s quality now.
The PSG midfielder—who finished third at the 2025 Ballon d'Or—is the complete package: a superb playmaker, a silky dribbler and a dangerous goalscorer. The Portuguese international has already added a couple of stunners to his highlight reel this season.
Is there a better left foot in world soccer today than Michael Olise? We’d argue not.
The Frenchman’s left boot is pure magic—a wand capable of conjuring something out of nothing, whether it’s a devilishly whipped cross, a silky piece of skill or a curling finish from range.
Watch opposing teams face Bayern Munich and you’ll notice they almost always put two, if not three, men on Olise to try to contain him. That tells you everything you need to know about just how good he is.
The charges hanging over Manchester City continue to cast a shadow over the club, but Erling Haaland has refused to let the noise distract him.
The Norwegian has hit the ground running under new manager Enzo Maresca, starting the 2026-27 campaign in imperious form and already looking well on course to claim his fourth Premier League Golden Boot in five seasons.
Rodri was made to play for Barcelona—and he’s already showing it.
One of the finest passers in world soccer, no player controls a game quite like the Spaniard. Every pass is inch-perfect, timed to perfection and played with purpose, always keeping Barça on the front foot.
If the Catalans can finally win the Champions League under Hansi Flick, don’t be surprised if Rodri turns out to be the missing ingredient they’ve been searching for.
Doué may still be young, but there’s a strong argument that he’s already Paris Saint-Germain’s most important player.
The supremely versatile winger-cum-midfielder came in clutch during PSG’s back-to-back Champions League-winning campaigns in 2024-25 and 2025-26—and he’s already picking up where he left off this season.
Stunning strikes against Manchester City and Barcelona, both fired into the bottom corner from range, have been a timely reminder of just how dangerous Doué can be when given even the slightest bit of space.
Once again, there’s no doubting Kylian Mbappé’s genius. Lightning quick, a clinical finisher and seemingly becoming less and less selfish in the final third, he’s always at the heart of everything Real Madrid do well.
Whether he lifts the 2027 Ballon d’Or may well come down to one thing: can he fire Real Madrid to Champions League glory?
Just look at Lamine Yamal’s stunning piece of skill and curled opener against Real Betis in mid-October, and you’ll understand exactly why he’s among the favorites to win the 2027 Ballon d’Or.
The Spanish sensation is an ethereal talent—the kind of generational prospect we haven’t seen since the emergence of a certain Lionel Messi.
No player in Europe has made a better start to the 2026-27 season than Barcelona’s Raphinha.
Even with an injury setback, the Brazilian is already well into double figures for goals and assists combined, helping Barça enjoy a nine-game winning run to start La Liga as they chase a third consecutive title.
While Raphinha was undoubtedly a star during his time in the Premier League with Leeds United, few could have predicted the heights he has reached at the Camp Nou.
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