Ballon d’Or 2027: Kane, Mbappe and the top candidates for next year’s award

Analysis

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

The 2026 Ballon d’Or was won by Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, and he will be looking to defend his crown amid significant competition next year.

The era of dominance from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is now well and truly over, and the race to be named the best player in world football has been a hotly contested one in recent seasons.

Rodri, Ousmane Dembele and Kane are the three most recent winners of the award, and another new superstar could etch their name into the history books next year.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the five most likely candidates to win the 2027 Ballon d’Or.

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona

Lamine Yamal missed out on the 2026 prize and he will be out for revenge next year as he looks to become the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner in history. The Barcelona winger has won the Kopa Trophy for three consecutive seasons, and 2027 could be the year he finally goes one better.

With no international tournament next summer, it will be Yamal’s achievements with Barcelona that will count and he may be required to fire Hansi Flick’s side to Champions League glory for the first time in over a decade if he is to emerge victorious.

Yamal has unsurprisingly started the new campaign in sublime form and he will almost certainly be among the top contenders for Ballon d’Or glory next year.

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Kylian Mbappe is still yet to win the Ballon d’Or despite the fact that many have regarded him as the best player in world football for several years.

The France attacker finished second behind Kane in 2026 and he will be aiming to go one better in 2027, a feat that will become far more likely if Real Madrid avoid a second consecutive trophyless season.

Mbappe has emerged as Los Blancos’ main attacker under Jose Mourinho, with Vinicius Junior fading into the background, and he has scored 14 goals in just 13 games so far this term.

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Kane will head into the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony as the defending champion and while he may struggle to top his exploits from 2025-26, he will certainly be among the candidates for glory once again.

The England superstar remains arguably the best striker in world football and he is an indispensable part of Bayern’s formidable attack under Vincent Kompany.

Just like with Yamal and Mbappe, Kane’s chances of glory will undoubtedly improve if he is able to lead Bayern to the Champions League title.

Raphinha (Barcelona)

The aforementioned Yamal may be the headline name in Barcelona’s forward line, but Raphinha is equally important to Hansi Flick’s system at Camp Nou.

The Brazil superstar has established himself as one of the world’s very best players since Flick’s arrival at Barca and he will be a strong contender for Ballon d’Or glory if his current form continues.

Raphinha has scored 15 goals in just 11 games so far this season, including two hat-tricks in La Liga, and he could become the first Brazilian player to win the Ballon d’Or since Kaka in 2007.

Vitinha (PSG)

Finally, Ousmane Dembele is the most obvious PSG star to be in contention for the Ballon d’Or, but there is a strong argument to suggest that Vitinha is even more important to Luis Enrique’s team.

The Portugal midfielder has been instrumental in back-to-back Champions League triumphs, and his stellar form in the middle of the park has continued in 2026-27.

Vitinha will need to win the Champions League yet again to claim Ballon d’Or glory, with forwards typically preferred in the voting, but there is no reason why Enrique’s side can’t make it three on the bounce, and the 26-year-old will be among the top contenders if that happens.