As we prepare to enter December, Kylian Mbappe has pulled ahead in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or following his incredible start to the season with Real Madrid.
The France captain has been tipped as a future winner of the most prestigious individual award in the sport since he broke onto the scene as a teenager with AS Monaco back in the 2015/16 season, but so far he has yet to find his way to the top of the ranking, despite a sensational career to date.
Mbappe has won the World Cup and scored a hat-trick in another World Cup final, he has won seven Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe De France, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, but it's fair to suggest that this may be his best season ever so far.
The 26-year-old netted four goals in Real Madrid's Champions League win over Olympiacos on Wednesday night, making it 22 goals in 18 appearances for the Spanish club so far in this campaign, and arguably pushing him right to the front of everyone's thinking when it comes to the next Ballon d'Or ceremony in 2026.
But while he's now the frontrunner for the award, other contenders are also preparing to respond to his statement performance, with Erling Haaland in particular surely gunning to put himself in the conversation too.
Haaland to Respond to Mbappe's Ballon d'Or Claim
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring a goal for Manchester City
Alongside Mbappe, there have been conversations around the likes of Harry Kane and Haaland also being in the running to win the next Ballon d'Or after their exceptional starts to the season too.
Kane has netted an incredible 19 goals in 16 appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, but he drew a blank against Arsenal in midweek and allowed Mbappe to take all the headlines. He's also scored five times in two cup matches this season, but it feels like Kane doesn't quite have the superstar reputation some others do.
One of those people is Haaland, who is widely regarded as the best goalscorer of his generation, and the Norwegian has enjoyed a fruitful campaign with 19 goals across the Champions League and Premier League, while he also scored a ridiculous 16 goals in World Cup qualifying for his national team.
The 25-year-old will travel to his place of birth to take on Leeds United this weekend looking to add to that tally, but also reignite the battle between himself and Mbappe which has dominated headlines since they broke through as youngsters.
Many people expected their rivalry to be the next edition of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo, but neither has lifted a Ballon d'Or yet despite all their successes. 2026 may finally be the year.
Haaland Right in the Mix for Ballon d'Or 2026
Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates after winning the men's Ballon d'Or award
The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best player in the world, but it's usually heavily influenced by who wins what in the previous season and who their best players were.
Ousmane Dembele is the current holder, after PSG won the quadruple and he was a key player, but GIVEMESPORT's current Ballon d'Or power rankings for next year don't even have him in the top ten, considering all the injury issues he's dealt with this season.
Mbappe currenetly leads the way, with Kane in second place and Haaland just behind in third, but Man City's android-like star is surely preparing a response to Mbappe's statement performance in midweek, and Leeds now must beware.
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Related
Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings
Tracking the leading contenders to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 2026.