Damascus, Sept. 10 (SANA) The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is gathering pace, with Barcelona throwing its weight behind Lamine Yamal while Kylian Mbappé, defending winner Ousmane Dembélé and Harry Kane present compelling cases of their own.
Thirty players are competing for the award, whose winner will be announced in London on Oct. 26.
For Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, there is little doubt about who should win.
“He is my player, Lamine is a Barcelona player and he deserves the Ballon d’Or,” Flick said after the 19-year-old produced another record-breaking performance in Barcelona’s 5-1 Champions League victory over Feyenoord.
Yamal lets his football do the campaigning
Yamal scored from a direct free-kick and provided two assists against Feyenoord before adding another milestone to his remarkable career.
At 19 years and 59 days, he became the youngest player to captain Barcelona in an official match, surpassing Bojan Krkić, who wore the armband at 20 years and 56 days in 2010.
According to Opta, Yamal has also reached 23 Champions League goal involvements — 12 goals and 11 assists — surpassing Mbappé’s previous record of 20 as a teenager.
Barcelona sporting director Deco considers Yamal the favorite, while both he and Flick have questioned the absence of Pedri and Raphinha from the 30-player shortlist.
Feyenoord coach and former Barcelona player Giovanni van Bronckhorst also backed the teenager after Wednesday’s match.
“He can win the Ballon d’Or. I compare him to Messi and Ronaldinho. He can achieve it, and the only question is: when?” Van Bronckhorst said.
Yamal himself has little interest in campaigning.
“I do not need to run a campaign for the Ballon d’Or,” he said before facing Feyenoord, adding that the decision belonged to voters.
“I will not start begging for anything.”
The Spaniard has now been nominated three times before turning 20, having finished eighth in 2024 and second behind Dembélé in 2025.
Mbappé sees his opportunity
Mbappé, by contrast, has acknowledged that 2026 could finally be his year.
The Real Madrid forward scored 42 goals in 44 club appearances last season before winning the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals as France finished fourth.
Those goals took his career World Cup total to a record 22.
“Of course this year could be good for me to win the Ballon d’Or. But journalists vote,” Mbappé said.
The Frenchman has never won the award, with third place in 2023 his best finish. His case rests heavily on exceptional individual numbers, although Real Madrid ended last season without a major trophy.
Dembélé, PSG and Kane provide heavyweight competition
Dembélé is seeking to retain the Ballon d’Or after winning it in 2025, and Paris Saint-Germain have several players in contention.
PSG coach Luis Enrique has identified Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz among players capable of winning the prize.
Dembélé strengthened his case with two goals and two assists in PSG’s 6-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava and has predicted that the trophy could remain in Paris.
Kane, meanwhile, brings perhaps the strongest combination of goals and club silverware.
The England captain scored a club-record 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich as the German side completed a domestic double, before adding six goals at the World Cup.
His numbers ensure the race cannot easily be reduced to a Yamal-Mbappé contest.
Rodri is also among the leading names after helping Spain win the World Cup, while Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland are among the other nominees.
Mané and Quiñones represent Saudi Pro League
The Saudi Pro League also has two players among the final 30: Al-Nassr’s Sadio Mané and Al-Qadsiah striker Julián Quiñones.
Quiñones won the Saudi league Golden Boot with 33 goals before scoring four times for Mexico at the World Cup.
“I’m very proud to have achieved this,” the 29-year-old said. “I’ve worked hard for this moment and now it has happened.”
Al-Qadsiah coach Brendan Rodgers said the nomination recognized Quiñones’ impact and reflected positively on the Saudi Pro League.
Mané, who helped Al-Nassr win the 2025-26 Saudi league title, described his nomination as an “unbelievable” feeling and said other players competing in Saudi Arabia could also have made the shortlist.
One trophy, several compelling cases
The Ballon d’Or race therefore offers voters distinctly different cases.
Yamal combines major trophies and records with achievements rarely seen from a 19-year-old. Mbappé has extraordinary individual and World Cup numbers. Dembélé is defending the crown, while Kane combines prolific scoring with Bayern’s domestic success.
Rodri, Messi and a deep field of other stars ensure there is no shortage of alternatives, while the exclusion of Pedri and Raphinha has added another layer to the debate.
The performance period runs from Aug. 3, 2025, through July 19, 2026, the date of the World Cup final.
The winner will be revealed in London on Oct. 26.
Until then, the endorsements and arguments will continue — even if Yamal insists he will not be doing any campaigning himself.
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