Another weekend of European football action is in the books, so it is time to take a look at the updated Ballon d’Or power rankings before the final matchups of the Champions League league phase.
10. Juventus LW Kenan Yildiz
Kenan Yildiz is the one true savior for Juventus, and there is honestly not a whole lot to like about this team otherwise. There are a number of defensive players who will feel snubbed by the Turkish international taking this spot, but Yildiz deserves it for his moments of magic and the fact that he has two key passes and nearly four combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game on this disaster of a team.
9. Manchester United AM Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes could lead Manchester United to an unlikely return to Champions League football under Michael Carrick, as this team is waking up without a manager who frustratingly kept misusing his best player. And yet the Man United captain is still the second best statistical attacking player in the Premier League with 5 goals and 10 assists on top of 3.2 key passes per game this season. Keeping him is a no brainer.
8. Bayern Munich LW Luis Diaz
The entire Bayern Munich front three makes this list, by the way, and although the newcomer can easily get overshadowed by his two Ballon d’Or podium teammates, the Colombian international has been a huge part of their success with his tireless take ons. Plus, Diaz has 9 goals and 9 assists of his own, which is even more than Lamine Yamal and fifth overall in European football in total goal contributions.
7. Arsenal DM Declan Rice
Despite losing to Manchester United on Sunday, Arsenal are still the clear league title favorites and the team to beat in the Premier League. The anchor man, Declan Rice, is the biggest reason why with his crisp control of the game, elite defensive reading, two key passes per game, and even four goals from midfield.
6. Como AM Nico Paz
Man, Nico Paz deserves so much more Ballon d’Or love than he gets, and he is actually the best No. 10 in world football right now. Real Madrid have hyped up Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono a ton, and they are both special talents, but their own homegrown academy boy is running circles around them.
Paz is carrying Como to the Champions League conversation with 14 goal contributions, 3.5 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game, and somehow winning 2.5 tackles per match. There’s nothing he can’t do!
5. Manchester City ST Erling Haaland
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is as good as it gets in terms of pure goal scoring, and he has 20 goals to show it. Although Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have more goals, the funny thing is the Norwegian international actually has as many assists.
4. Barcelona RW Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal scored the goal of his life over the weekend to stamp another exclamation point win for Barcelona over lowly Real Oviedo, but what stands out most about the winger’s season is everything besides the goals and assists. He has 16 of them, which is nice, but he is leading all Ballon d’Or candidates in fouls per game and everyone in the top leagues with 5.5 dribbles completed per game. Yamal is insane, and imagine what he could do with a better No.9 next to him.
3. Bayern Munich ST Harry Kane
There is no better No. 9 right now than Harry Kane, and even thuogh his Ballon d’Or reputation has to take a hit after a putrid performance against Augsburg in Bayern Munich’s shock upset to their local rivals, his 21 goals and 4 assists and all around play still speak for themselves.
2. Bayern Munich RW Michael Olise
But with 10 goals and 14 assists, Michael Olise might be having an even more historically great 2025/26 season for Bayern in the Bundesliga. The French winger is the best all around winger on the planet right now, and yet it feels like people are not taking notice of the Frenchman. He is as important to Bayern as Kane, averaging 2.6 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per game as Die Roten’s main workhorse.
1. Real Madrid CF Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid did not have a dream start to the 2025/26 season and were terrible in the big games under Xabi Alonso, but now they are back to their true identity under the more humble Alvaro Arbeola, who suits both Real Madrid’s tactical identity and personal identity as a club for the players – not for managers try to make themselves look smart.
And Mbappe stands to benefit. Kylian Mbappe had a gritty brace against a tough Villarreal side this weekend. He has as many goals and assists as Kane with the same number of fouls drawn per game. But he also has double the key passes and triple the dribbles completed per match. He’s the better athlete and overall player, plain and simple.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.