Football Awards 2026 — Ballon d'Or, Pichichi, Golden Boy
The 2025-2026 season features extraordinary individual trophy races. Kylian Mbappe (22 goals, 8 assists in La Liga) leads the Ballon d'Or race with 28% probability. In La Liga, the Pichichi battle rages between Mbappe and Lewandowski (18 goals). The European Golden Shoe sees Haaland on top with 56 points.
Who will win the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
The 2026 Ballon d'Or is shaping up as one of the most contested in history. The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will be the decisive factor. Kylian Mbappe, in his first season at Real Madrid, has scored 22 goals and provided 8 assists in 25 La Liga matches — the best ratio of his career. But Lamine Yamal, at just 18 years old, has 30 direct contributions (14 goals, 16 assists) and could become the youngest winner in history.
Power Rankings — Top 10 Candidates
22 goals, 8 assists — 22 goals in 25 La Liga matches, best ratio of his career
14 goals, 16 assists — At 18, already 30 direct contributions in the league
16 goals, 10 assists — Decisive Champions League performances, 8 goals in knockout rounds
28 goals, 5 assists — 28 Premier League goals, undisputed Golden Boot leader
12 goals, 9 assists — Decisive box-to-box midfielder, 21 contributions in La Liga
6 goals, 11 assists — Back from injury, City's midfield maestro
15 goals, 12 assists — Best Bundesliga player for the 2nd consecutive season
20 goals, 13 assists — Exceptional season at 32, 33 PL contributions
18 goals, 6 assists — 18 La Liga goals, still prolific at 37
8 goals, 14 assists — First fully fit season, 22 decisive contributions
Who is the La Liga 2025-2026 Pichichi?
The Pichichi Trophy rewards La Liga's top scorer each season. Created in 1953 by the newspaper Marca, it is named after Rafael Moreno "Pichichi", the legendary Athletic Bilbao striker from the 1910s. In 2025-2026, the race is dominated by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona attackers, with a tight gap at the top of the standings.
| # | Player | Team | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | 23 | 23 |
| 2 | Vedat Muriqi | Majorque | 18 | 18 |
| 3 | Lamine Yamal | FC Barcelone | 14 | 14 |
| 4 | Ante Budimir | Osasuna | 14 | 14 |
| 5 | Ferrán Torres | FC Barcelone | 12 | 12 |
| 6 | Borja Iglesias | Celta Vigo | 12 | 12 |
| 7 | Mikel Oyarzabal | Real Sociedad | 12 | 12 |
| 8 | Raphinha | FC Barcelone | 11 | 11 |
| 9 | Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | 11 | 11 |
| 10 | Robert Lewandowski | FC Barcelone | 11 | 11 |
2026 European Golden Shoe standings
The European Golden Shoe rewards the top scorer across all European leagues. Goals are weighted by a coefficient based on each league's UEFA ranking: 2.0 for the top 5 leagues (La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1), 1.5 for the next tier. Erling Haaland currently leads with 56 points from his 28 Premier League goals.
| # | Player | League | Goals | Coeff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland | Premier League | 28 | x2 | 56 |
| 2 | Harry Kane | Bundesliga | 24 | x2 | 48 |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappe | La Liga | 22 | x2 | 44 |
| 4 | Viktor Gyokeres | Liga Portugal | 26 | x1.5 | 39 |
| 5 | Marcus Thuram | Serie A | 19 | x2 | 38 |
| 6 | Robert Lewandowski | La Liga | 18 | x2 | 36 |
Who are the 2026 Golden Boy candidates?
The Golden Boy award recognises the best under-21 player in a European league. In 2026, La Liga dominates the race with 4 of the top 5 favourites. Lamine Yamal, at 18, is the overwhelming favourite after his exceptional season at FC Barcelona: 14 goals and 16 assists in La Liga, performances reminiscent of a young Messi.
Lamine Yamal
FC Barcelona
18 years old — Right winger
Endrick
Real Madrid
19 years old — Striker
Arda Guler
Real Madrid
20 years old — Attacking midfielder
Pau Cubarsi
FC Barcelona
18 years old — Centre-back
Alejandro Garnacho
Atletico Madrid
20 years old — Winger
FIFA The Best 2026 — Favourites and predictions
The FIFA The Best award recognises the best player of the year through a combined vote of national team captains and coaches, journalists, and fans. Unlike the Ballon d'Or, the vote includes a 25% popular component. In 2025, Vinicius Junior won the trophy. For 2026, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal are the leading favourites, especially if their national teams perform at the 2026 World Cup. Voting typically closes in December, with the ceremony scheduled for January 2027.
Yashin Trophy 2026 — Best goalkeeper of the year
The Yashin Trophy, named after legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin (the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, in 1963), rewards the best goalkeeper of the year. In 2026, the race is led by La Liga and Premier League goalkeepers.
| Goalkeeper | Club | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | FC Barcelona | 14 |
| Alisson | Liverpool | 13 |
| Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid | 12 |
| Ederson | Manchester City | 11 |
Why the 2025-2026 season is redefining individual awards
The 2025-2026 season presents an unprecedented configuration for world football's individual awards. Three factors converge to create one of the most open trophy races of the last decade. First, the 2026 World Cup — hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026 — will be the discriminating factor for the Ballon d'Or. Historically, every World Cup reshuffles the deck: Zinedine Zidane in 1998, Ronaldo in 2002, Lionel Messi in 2022 all saw their candidacies propelled by their World Cup performances.
Second, the emergence of a new generation is redistributing the hierarchy. Lamine Yamal (18), with 30 direct contributions in La Liga, could become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history if FC Barcelona win the Champions League and Spain shine at the World Cup. Endrick (19) and Pau Cubarsi (18) complete a golden generation that could monopolise the Golden Boy for 3 to 4 years. The density of talent within Spanish academies has not been this high since the Xavi-Iniesta-Messi generation of 2005-2010.
Third, the Champions League format change (36 teams, league phase) modifies performance evaluation. With 8 league phase matches instead of 6, players have more opportunities to shine on the European stage. Kylian Mbappe, in his first Real Madrid season, has already scored 8 goals in the Champions League knockout rounds — a record for a player in his first season at a new club. This new format favours players at top clubs who face more high-level opponents.
The Pichichi race in La Liga is equally tight. With 22 goals in 25 matches, Mbappe maintains a ratio of 0.88 goals per game — the best of his career in league football. Lewandowski (18 goals, 0.72 ratio) remains in contention through his legendary consistency. The 4-goal gap with 13 matchdays remaining leaves the door open for a reversal, especially with the remaining direct confrontations. The all-time Pichichi record in a 38-game season is 36 goals (Messi, 2012-2013), a target out of reach this season.
For the Golden Shoe, Erling Haaland's dominance (56 points, 28 goals) seems difficult to challenge. However, the end-of-season runs in the top 5 leagues and the World Cup could redistribute the cards. A player scoring 15 goals in the final 13 matchdays could theoretically catch the Norwegian — an unlikely but not impossible scenario by current scoring standards. The year 2026 could also see the first goalkeeper nominated in the Ballon d'Or top 10 since Manuel Neuer in 2014, should Courtois or ter Stegen deliver an exceptional World Cup.
Frequently asked questions about 2026 football awards
Who is the favourite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or?▼
As of March 2026, Kylian Mbappe is the leading favourite with a 28% probability. His first season at Real Madrid features 22 goals and 8 assists in La Liga, placing him ahead of Lamine Yamal (22%) and Vinicius Junior (15%).
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony?▼
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for October 2026 in Paris. Voting considers the 2025-2026 season performances including the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Who will win the 2026 European Golden Shoe?▼
Erling Haaland leads the 2026 European Golden Shoe race with 56 points (28 goals x 2.0 coefficient for the Premier League). Harry Kane (48 pts) and Kylian Mbappe (44 pts) complete the provisional podium.
Who are the 2026 Golden Boy candidates?▼
The top 2026 Golden Boy candidates are Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona, 18), Endrick (Real Madrid, 19), Arda Guler (Real Madrid, 20), and Pau Cubarsi (FC Barcelona, 18). La Liga dominates with 4 of the top 5 favourites.
What is the Yashin Trophy?▼
The Yashin Trophy rewards the best goalkeeper of the year. Created in 2019, it is awarded during the Ballon d'Or ceremony. In 2026, Marc-Andre ter Stegen (14 clean sheets) and Thibaut Courtois (12 clean sheets) are the frontrunners.
How does the 2026 World Cup affect the Ballon d'Or?▼
The 2026 World Cup (June-July) will be decisive for the Ballon d'Or. Historically, World Cup performers receive a significant voting bonus. In 2022, Messi won the 2023 Ballon d'Or largely thanks to his World Cup triumph in Qatar.
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