Flashscore player power rankings 2025/26: Kane leads the way in wide-Open Ballon d’Or race

The 2025/26 football season has officially come to a close, bringing an end to another unforgettable campaign for club and country. While team trophies always take priority, the debate over the world’s best player is already heating up as attention turns to the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Throughout the season, Flashscore updated its Player Power Rankings every month, evaluating the world’s standout performers based solely on their displays during the 2025/26 campaign across domestic leagues, European competitions and international football.

With the FIFA World Cup now complete and every major trophy decided, the race for football’s biggest individual honour is wide open ahead of the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October.

10. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona) ▲ New

Pau Cubarsi may not have enjoyed his most consistent season under Hansi Flick at Barcelona, but the teenage defender once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of football’s brightest young talents.

After helping Barcelona lift the LaLiga title, Cubarsi elevated his game on the biggest stage, starring for Spain as they captured their second FIFA World Cup.

Despite many expecting teammate Lamine Yamal to claim the tournament’s Best Young Player award, it was Cubarsi’s commanding displays at the heart of Spain’s defence that earned the honour.

Spain conceded just once throughout the tournament, with Cubarsi’s composure in possession playing a crucial role in their triumph.

9. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) ▲ 1

Another prolific campaign from Erling Haaland saw the Manchester City striker finish with an astonishing 58 goals in 63 appearances for club and country.

Fresh from lifting both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, Haaland inspired Norway to their best-ever World Cup finish by scoring seven goals in just five matches, including a decisive brace against Brazil in the Round of 16.

His remarkable goalscoring numbers keep him among the world’s elite, although City’s disappointment in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League ultimately limits his position in the rankings.

8. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) ▲ New

At 39 years old, Lionel Messi once again proved age is just a number.

The Inter Miami superstar almost single-handedly dragged Argentina back to another World Cup final, producing eight goals and four assists in an extraordinary tournament.

Time and again, Messi delivered decisive moments against Egypt, England, Cape Verde and Switzerland, carrying an Argentina side that struggled to reach the heights of their 2022 triumph.

Although Spain ultimately proved too strong in the final, Messi’s performances served as another reminder of his enduring brilliance.

7. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain) ▲ 2

Fresh from helping Paris Saint-Germain win the UEFA Champions League, Ousmane Dembele added another productive international tournament to his résumé.

The reigning Ballon d’Or winner scored five goals and registered two assists during France’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.

However, several of those contributions came against weakened opposition, while his overall performances never quite matched the level he produced for PSG, where he thrived in a more central attacking role.

6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain) ▼ 4

Although Georgia failed to qualify for the World Cup, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia still enjoyed another sensational club campaign.

The winger was instrumental as PSG retained the Champions League, contributing 10 goals and six assists in Europe.

His performances against Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich earned him the Champions League Player of the Season award, while he also became the first player ever to register a goal or assist in seven consecutive knockout matches during a single campaign.

5. Rodri (Manchester City) ▲ New

After injury disrupted much of his club season, Rodri returned to remind the football world why he remains one of the game’s finest midfielders.

The Manchester City star was the heartbeat of Spain’s World Cup-winning side, earning the tournament’s Golden Ball after a series of commanding displays.

The triumph also placed Rodri alongside legends such as Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Zinedine Zidane as one of the few players to win the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and Ballon d’Or.

4. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) ▲ 4

Despite ending the season without major silverware, Kylian Mbappe produced arguably the finest individual campaign of his career.

The Real Madrid forward scored 58 goals, finishing as the top scorer in LaLiga, the Champions League, and the World Cup.

His 10-goal haul at the World Cup also secured a second Golden Boot, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.

While the lack of team trophies could hurt his Ballon d’Or chances, his individual numbers remain extraordinary.

3. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) —

Michael Olise continued his rapid rise with an outstanding season for Bayern Munich.

After being named Bundesliga Player of the Season, the winger finished with 15 league goals and 19 assists, while also contributing heavily during Bayern’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Olise added a record-breaking seven assists at the World Cup, although he struggled to replicate his excellent group-stage performances once the knockout rounds began.

2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) ▲ 3

Few players enjoyed a better club season than Lamine Yamal.

The teenage sensation helped Barcelona win LaLiga, recording 16 goals and 11 assists, while also starring in Europe with six goals and four assists.

He added a World Cup winners’ medal with Spain, becoming the youngest player in history to win both the European Championship and the World Cup.

However, despite Spain’s success, Yamal endured a surprisingly quiet tournament by his exceptional standards, scoring only once and failing to consistently influence matches.

Even so, his remarkable talent keeps him firmly among the favourites for football’s biggest individual prize.

1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) —

For the entire season, Harry Kane has remained at the summit of Flashscore’s Player Power Rankings.

The England captain delivered staggering numbers, scoring 73 goals for club and country — the second-highest total ever recorded in a single season, behind only Lionel Messi’s legendary 2011/12 campaign.

Kane also lifted both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, scoring a hat-trick in the domestic cup final, while adding 14 goals in 13 Champions League appearances.

His consistency in Europe was equally remarkable, becoming the first player since Cristiano Ronaldo to score in six consecutive Champions League knockout matches.

Internationally, Kane struck six times as England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966 with a third-place finish.

Questions remain over his performances in the latter stages of major tournaments, with critics pointing to quieter displays after the Round of 32.

Even so, no player has combined goals, consistency and silverware quite like Kane during the 2025/26 season.

With the 2026 Ballon d’Or race shaping up to be one of the closest in years, the Bayern striker has made perhaps the strongest case of them all — but with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Rodri, Lionel Messi and several others also boasting compelling credentials, the final decision promises to be one of the most fiercely debated in recent memory.