World Cup 2026: Could World Cup final decide who wins Ballon d’Or? Is Lionel Messi on the hunt?

Now we get into what can happen The fifth and of course the last iteration of MessiBut somehow the Argentinian genius is still putting on extraordinary performances – just like in 2011 and still winning Europe under Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

When the level of opposition in Major League Soccer needs to be considered in context of Inter Miami’s impressive club statistics, there is no doubt that Messi’s World Cup exploits are still among the best.

He scored eight goals and provided four assists to lead Argentina to their second consecutive World Cup final and narrowly lead the race for the Golden Boot, one more assist behind Mbappe’s eight goals.

Sunday’s win would make Messi the first man in history to lead his country to the World Cup.

But It hurts Lamin I may have something to say about this.

While the teenage winger hasn’t been as sensational as he was when Spain won Euro 2024 – he had one goal and no assists in seven games – in 2016 He is a key part of the Spanish team that reached the final of the World Cup for the first time since winning the 2010 edition.

Lamin Yamal had another impressive season with 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 games for Barcelona despite being sidelined by injury last season.

Barcelona won the La Liga title but crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so Spain will probably need to win the World Cup if they want to be called the best in the world.

Ken 2025-26 was spectacular – Bayern Munich The Englishman scored 61 goals in 51 games as Bayern Munich won the league and cup double.

However, losing to the club in the Champions League semi-finals and World Cup against England could cost him.

“I could have scored 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, I probably won’t win the Ballon d’Or,” Kane said in November. “It’s the same with any player. You’ve got to be winning those major titles.”

Ken Bayer’s teammate Olisse He scored 22 goals and set up 31 more in 52 games in his second season at Bayern.

The 24-year-old entered the World Cup in that form and had more assists (five) than anyone else at the tournament, but he and his team-mates suffered a 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain.

French striker Kylian Mbappe After topping the scoring charts in both La Liga and the Champions League, he has scored eight goals this summer.

He has been one of the top scorers in world football for eight years, but at the age of 27, he failed to win the Ballon d’Or award.

After Real Madrid and the heartache of the World Cup, that seems unlikely to change.

Holland He won the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the third time in four seasons but had to do the FA Cup and Carabao Cup double in terms of silverware.

Scoring seven goals in Norway’s first World Cup in 28 years would make history for his home country even greater.

Ballondor owner Dembele He won Ligue 1 and the Champions League for the second season in a row, but injuries limited his results.

That said, his impressive World Cup showing – five goals and two assists – has given his chances a timely boost.

Partner of PSG Kvaratskelia He shone in the Champions League last season (10 goals and seven assists), but his country, Georgia, did not qualify for the World Cup.

Bellingham He should be credited for leading England to the semi-finals of the World Cup, but an injury-plagued campaign and lack of silverware really excludes him.

Rice He will be in the mix for the top 10 – the midfielder was key to Arsenal’s side winning the Premier League and being crowned European champions with two penalties to spare.