Lamine Yamal tops CIES 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking ahead of Harry Kane

Lamine Yamal tops CIES 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking ahead of Harry Kane Barcelona may have suffered a disappointing defeat against Real Madrid on Sunday, but the quality within Hansi Flick’s squad remains unquestionable. With the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony underway, there is increasing anticipation about whether Lamine Yamal can win the award. According to SPORT , Lamine Yamal has been ranked as the most deserving player for the 2026 Ballon d’Or by the CIES Football Observatory. The 19-year-old has topped its independent assessment for the second consecutive year. It is worth noting that he did not win it last time. Lamine Yamal finishes ahead of Olise and Kane Yamal leads the ranking with 95.8 points, ahead of Bayern Munich duo Michael Olise (93.9) and Harry Kane (90.5). The study examines performances over the previous 365 days, evaluating 50 outfield players using three criteria: individual contributions across eight areas of play, the competitive level of matches and the results achieved. Lamine Yamal is considered one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images) This methodology is said to consider more than just goals and assists, numbers that everyone can see. Dribbling efficiency, progressive carries, chance creation and finishing are among the actions assessed, allowing players who consistently influence attacking moves to receive recognition. Interestingly, Barça legend Lionel Messi finishes fourth, although the Argentine would have topped the ranking without adjustments for the competitive level of matches. Kylian Mbappe sits sixth, while last year’s official winner, Ousmane Dembele, ranks a very low 27th. Three Barcelona stars feature among the top ten Barcelona’s representation in the CIES ranking extends beyond Lamine Yamal. Pedri occupies eighth place with 90.3 points but was not even nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Pau Cubarsi, who had an outstanding World Cup campaign, ranks tenth with 90 points, making him the highest-rated defender in the study. He finished 12th in the official standings . Pau Cubarsi finished 12th in the official standings. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Rodri (14th), Raphinha (19th), Jules Kounde (40th) and Fermin Lopez (47th) complete Barcelona’s seven-player representation. The CIES study, unlike the actual Ballon d’Or, also uses a system to recognise players across different positions rather than increasingly favouring attacking players. While these rankings have no connection with how the final results turn out, they do show that Barça have some of the best players in the world. It remains to be seen whether Lamine Yamal goes on to win the actual award in a few hours or if someone else gets their hands on it.