Former Burkina Faso international Alain Traore has placed Lamine Yamal at the top of his five leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Traore, now a consultant for Canal+, revealed his selection during an interview with 226foot. The former AJ Auxerre, FC Lorient and AS Monaco midfielder ranked the young Spain international ahead of a group of some of the biggest names in world football.

Harry Kane is second on Traore’s list. The Bayern Munich striker is recognised for his outstanding goalscoring record and his status as the winner of the Golden Boot.

However, Traore believes Kane’s case is weakened by the absence of certain major honours from the England captain’s career. In particular, the consultant pointed to the lack of a Champions League title and a World Cup among Kane’s achievements.

Ousmane Dembele occupies third place, despite being identified as the winner of the previous Ballon d’Or in the ranking presented. Traore highlighted the France international’s Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain, as well as what he considered to be a convincing season overall.

Dembele therefore remains high in the former midfielder’s assessment, although Traore gives greater weight to Yamal’s potential and performances when deciding between the two players.

Kylian Mbappe is fourth. The Real Madrid forward’s individual numbers are described as impressive, and he remains involved in the race to finish as La Liga’s leading goalscorer.

Even so, Mbappe is held back in this particular ranking by what Traore sees as a lack of major team honours. His position leaves him outside the top three despite his personal statistics and status as one of the leading contenders for the award.

Rodri completes the top five. Traore acknowledged the Spain international’s qualities and his influence in midfield, but did not place him among the podium positions.

The list puts Yamal ahead of Kane, Dembele, Mbappe and Rodri, offering an early view of the players Traore considers best placed to challenge for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. His decision to select Yamal above the previous winner and several established stars is likely to generate discussion as attention turns towards the next award.