Lamine Yamal on a roll: Racing toward the Ballon d'Or with another stellar performance as Kane and Mbappé look on

Spain proved once again that it is in top form. The 2026 World Cup champion crushed Croatia (4-1) on Matchday 2 of the Nations League with a brilliant performance, full of fluid passing and direct attacks that rendered the Balkan national team's efforts to get anything out of the match futile.

In this latest match, the player widely regarded as Spain's best at the moment shone once again: Lamine Yamal, who once again showcased his talent on the field and made a strong case for winning soccer's top individual award: the Ballon d'Or.

With less than a month to go before the presentation of this prestigious award, the young winger from FC Barcelona delighted the crowd at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, one of Spain's most iconic soccer venues. He scored two of the four goals netted by the two-time World Cup champions against Croatia.

Given his latest performance, along with his form over the past few months, Yamal is a strong contender to claim the throne and win what would be his first Ballon d'Or. Furthermore, at 19 years old, he would become the youngest player in history to be named the best soccer player on the planet, surpassing Ronaldo Nazário, who won the award at age 21 in 1997.

Who are his main rivals in the race for the Ballon d'Or?

Before getting into the details, it's important to note that the ceremony—the 70th edition—will be held on Monday, Oct. 26, at the London Palladium Theatre in London, United Kingdom, marking the first time the award will be presented outside of Paris, France, as has been the case on the previous 69 occasions. The reason is simple: in this way, the French magazine France Football—the award's organizer—is paying tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the first Ballon d'Or winner (1956).

On Sept. 8, France Football released the list of the 30 soccer players in the running for the award, which was won by Ousmane Dembélé last season. It also named the 30 journalists from around the world who will cast their votes, as is customary.

All of them have reasons to be recognized, some more than others. The list includes familiar faces to every fan, such as Dembélé himself, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Jr., Michael Olise and Jude Bellingham, as well as two players who have already won the award at least once: Rodri Hernández (2024) and Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023)

However, the chances for all those mentioned—as well as the other 20 nominees—seem very slim, because there are three candidates who are the clear favorites to win.

The first of these is, obviously, Lamine Yamal. The 24 goals and 18 assists recorded in the 45 games he played with FC Barcelona, where he won LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup last season, reinforce his candidacy. His importance to the team is undeniable. With Spain, he won the 2026 World Cup, playing a key role in that victory.

His main rival in this race is Kylian Mbappé. The French forward tallied 42 goals and 7 assists in the 44 games he played for Real Madrid last season. Collectively, he didn't win a single title. Nor did he with France, which fell in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup against none other than Lamine Yamal's Spain.

While the debate centers on these two regarding who will win the Ballon d'Or, there is one final player who stands a strong chance, based on his stats from last season: Harry Kane. The English forward scored more goals (61) than he played matches (51) for Bayern Munich, winning every possible title in Germany. He won the Golden Boot.