Top five players who can win Golden Ball at FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Harry Kane
The Golden Ball will be given to the tournament’s best player.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is now just a few days away. The finest players from across the world are arriving in the United States, Mexico, and Canada for what promises to be an incredible summer of football. While some nations will only dream of making it out of their groups, others understand that anything less than a trophy parade in late July will be considered a failure.
Meanwhile, some players will be looking to make an impact for their nation at the tournament. The best player of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will win the Golden Ball.
We predict the top five players who can win the Golden Ball in the 2026 competition
| Rank | Players |
| 5 | Lionel Messi |
| 4 | Michael Olise |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappe |
| 2 | Harry Kane |
| 1 | Lamine Yamal |
5. Lionel Messi
In 2022, Lionel Messi became the first person to win the Golden Ball twice, making history. After leading the South Americans to the final in 2014, the Argentine star got the Golden Ball for the first time. After winning the World Cup in Qatar, he was awarded a second Golden Ball.
Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who ultimately won the World Cup on his fifth try, was outstanding during that victory.
Can he still perform at that level on the grandest stage of all at the age of 38? Even at the MLS level, an amazing 90 goals and 51 assists in 104 games for Inter Miami indicate he can.
4. Michael Olise
Despite Kane’s prolific goalscoring in Germany, teammate Michael Olise won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award.
In Munich, the Frenchman has developed into one of the world’s best footballers. He will look to solidify that status at the World Cup this summer. A true game changer in a French team full of them.
3. Kylian Mbappe
A World Cup Golden Ball appears to be the most glaring gap in Mbappe’s resume. He already has the FIFA World Cup Young Player Award (2018), Golden Boot (2022), and a winners’ medal (2018) in the trophy cabinet.
With France in Qatar, he might have been one penalty shootout away from winning it and a second World Cup. The skipper of Les Bleus will work to make things right this time.
2. Harry Kane
Harry Kane has experienced disappointment with England’s losses in successive European Championship finals to Italy and Spain. Additionally, a World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in 2018 and a quarter-final loss to France in Qatar.
Harry Kane leads a superb England team that will travel to North America with confidence in its ability to impress. The 32-year-old was in outstanding form for Bayern Munich this season, scoring a career-high 61 goals in 51 games.
England’s prospects depend mainly on his shoulders.
1. Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal, who smashed multiple records during Spain’s 2024 European Championship victory, will make his World Cup debut. Yamal’s level over the past two seasons makes it easy to forget that he is only eighteen. He is already unquestionably the club and national talisman.
He is the favourite to win the Golden Ball.
How many Golden Balls has Messi won?
Two.
How many Golden Balls has Mbappe won?
He has not won any.
Which player is awarded the Golden Ball at the World Cup?
Best player of the tournament.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.