France forward Kylian Mbappe has climbed to the top of the 2026 Ballon d’Or race following his standout display in his country’s World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco.
The latest rankings, published by Polymarket and shared by football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, place the Real Madrid star ahead of England captain Harry Kane by a three-percentage-point margin.
Mbappe strengthened his claim for football’s biggest individual prize after playing a decisive role in France’s 2-0 win. Although he failed to convert an early penalty, the 27-year-old bounced back after the break, opening the scoring in the 60th minute before setting up Ousmane Dembele for France’s second goal.
His performance has seen him overtake Kane in the Ballon d’Or standings, with Mbappe now leading the race on 28 percent compared to the England striker’s 25 percent.
France teammate Ousmane Dembele occupies third place with 15 percent, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi sits fourth on 13 percent in the latest projections.
With the World Cup entering its decisive stages, the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is expected to remain highly competitive as the leading contenders continue to influence their nations’ campaigns.
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