Even adjusting for the goal-drunken Bundesliga, his 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern last season undersells his all-around impact, considering his playmaking and hold-up skills. Kane was gameplanned out of England’s later games at the World Cup, but he was unstoppable through the last 16 to close out the finest year of his career to date. If not now, when? 2) Rodri (Spain/Manchester City – now at Barcelona) He boasts a comparable case to when he won this prize in 2024 – Rodri remains the epicenter of an incredibly effective Spanish collective.
This time around, there’s no Premier League glory to bolster his hopes, as City’s late challenge fizzled out with the club “only” winning domestic cups in his final season at the Etihad. Back to his best en route to Spain’s second World Cup title, though only one of the four previous World Cup champions had the corresponding Ballon d’Or winner (Lionel Messi, 2023). Mbappé and José Mourinho have launched an aggressive campaign for the Frenchman to win his first Ballon d’Or.
He was even more difficult to slow in his second Spanish season, with 40 goals in 42 matches across La Liga and the Champions League; the less said about his pressing, the better. Few players captivated and dominated like Mbappé at the World Cup, as he won the Golden Boot. But a lack of team accomplishments could set back his candidacy, made even more glaring given Madrid’s chronic success.
Another member of the World Cup champions, although injuries limited his impact in North America – the master of suspense was not as involved as he’d have liked. Then again, he managed greater consistency in his third season as a regular for Barcelona, with 41 goal contributions in all competitions across 45 appearances. He only just turned 19 in July.
Messi could well have ranked higher had Argentina won the World Cup this summer, as the 39-year-old was the heart and soul of their campaign. Alas, a putrid final showing (by his teammates, more than Messi) dulls the sheen on his hopes for a ninth Ballon d’Or, and he is also hit by the fact that he doesn’t play for one of Europe’s elite clubs, even though Inter Miami won the MLS title. His remarkable 17th appearance on a Ballon d’Or shortlist is well deserved.
Who knew Bayern’s most thrilling attack in recent memory would be spearheaded by signings from Tottenham and Crystal Palace? An elite secondary attacker, and one who has come to relish operating as the string-puller in transition and at the edge of the final third. Spain masterfully closed his passing lines and took him out of the semi-final, but a pair of assists in the third-place match put him top in that category at the World Cup.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
