Ballon d’Or 2026 August Rankings: Mbappé Leads, Yamal Second, Kane Third

Score 90 released its August 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, placing Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé first after his 10 goals and four assists at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he also won the Golden Boot in LaLiga, the Champions League and the World Cup. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal ranks second for his role in Spain’s LaLiga and Supercopa successes and his World Cup contribution. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane is third, having scored 73 goals last season, helped Bayern to a domestic double and Champions League semi‑finals, and aided England’s third‑place World Cup finish. Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri, now at Barcelona, is fourth; he was MVP of the World Cup (Golden Ball), won Spain’s title, and added the Carabao and FA Cups with City. Completing the top five, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland sits fifth with seven World Cup goals for Norway and 38 goals in 52 games last season, plus Carabao and FA Cup medals.

The rankings reflect current elite form and give Nigerian fans a benchmark for assessing which global stars are likely to contend for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. While no African player appears in the top five, the list shows the level of performance needed to break into elite contention, highlighting the gap and opportunity for emerging talents from the continent.

Who do you think will ultimately lift the Ballon d’Or later this year, and which African player do you believe could break into the top five by next year’s rankings?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/24/ballon-dor-2026-top-5-ranking-for-august/