Who is your Ballon d’Or?
You already know the trophies. This is performance only: define what being the best means and see your 30 candidates.
Your Ballon d’Or 2026: Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool, Premier League · centre-back. Followed by Alessandro Bastoni and Juan Miranda. 417 players meet these criteria.
The 30 candidates for the 2026 edition (2025-26 season) under the starting criteria, first to last. The score runs from 0 to 100.
| # | Player | Position | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virgil van DijkLiverpool · Premier League | Centre-back | 94.1 |
| 2 | Alessandro BastoniInter · Serie A | Centre-back | 91.0 |
| 3 | Juan MirandaBologna · Serie A | Full-back | 88.7 |
| 4 | Harry KaneFC Bayern München · Bundesliga | Striker | 87.2 |
| 5 | Reece JamesChelsea · Premier League | Full-back | 87.1 |
| 6 | RaphinhaFC Barcelona · La Liga | Winger | 86.2 |
| 7 | Min-jae KimFC Bayern München · Bundesliga | Centre-back | 83.2 |
| 8 | VitinhaParis Saint Germain · Ligue 1 | Defensive midfielder | 82.8 |
| 9 | BernardoTSG Hoffenheim · Bundesliga | Full-back | 82.6 |
| 10 | Joshua KimmichFC Bayern München · Bundesliga | Defensive midfielder | 81.6 |
| 11 | Michael OliseFC Bayern München · Bundesliga | Winger | 81.2 |
| 12 | Lamine YamalFC Barcelona · La Liga | Winger | 81.0 |
| 13 | Maximilian MittelstädtVfB Stuttgart · Bundesliga | Full-back | 78.7 |
| 14 | Declan RiceArsenal · Premier League | Defensive midfielder | 78.6 |
| 15 | Bruno FernandesManchester United · Premier League | Attacking midfielder | 78.4 |
| 16 | Aleix GarcíaBayer 04 Leverkusen · Bundesliga | Defensive midfielder | 77.9 |
| 17 | Frenkie de JongFC Barcelona · La Liga | Attacking midfielder | 75.8 |
| 18 | PedriFC Barcelona · La Liga | Attacking midfielder | 74.8 |
| 19 | Cristian RomeroTottenham Hotspur · Premier League | Centre-back | 73.3 |
| 20 | Yuri BerchicheAthletic Club · La Liga | Full-back | 72.2 |
| 21 | Hakan ÇalhanoğluInter · Serie A | Attacking midfielder | 72.1 |
| 22 | Manuel LocatelliJuventus · Serie A | Defensive midfielder | 72.1 |
| 23 | Dean HuijsenReal Madrid · La Liga | Centre-back | 71.9 |
| 24 | Lautaro MartínezInter · Serie A | Striker | 69.9 |
| 25 | Arda GülerReal Madrid · La Liga | Attacking midfielder | 68.2 |
| 26 | Christian PulisicAC Milan · Serie A | Striker | 67.4 |
| 27 | Dominik SzoboszlaiLiverpool · Premier League | Attacking midfielder | 67.2 |
| 28 | Chris FührichVfB Stuttgart · Bundesliga | Winger | 66.9 |
| 29 | Luis DíazFC Bayern München · Bundesliga | Winger | 66.7 |
| 30 | Jeff ChabotVfB Stuttgart · Bundesliga | Centre-back | 66.5 |
This is a game, not a verdict. It shows who stands out most through Sir Balone’s La Lente; a player’s impact is made of more than that. One view, not the final word.
Goalkeepers go separately: they are measured differently (what they save against what they face).
| 1 | Daniel BatzFSV Mainz 05 · Bundesliga | 72.4 |
| 2 | Joan GarcíaFC Barcelona · La Liga | 72.0 |
| 3 | Gianluigi DonnarummaManchester City · Premier League | 66.0 |
| 4 | Alexander NübelVfB Stuttgart · Bundesliga | 64.9 |
| 5 | Jari De BusserGo Ahead Eagles · Eredivisie | 63.2 |
And among France Football’s 30 nominees? Order them by your criteria
How it is counted
There are no votes and no trophies. The list comes only from what each player did in his league that season, with La Lente’s measures: what he produces, what he costs, the balance between the two (NVP) and the skills that define his position.
Each player is compared with those in his position: strikers with strikers, full-backs with full-backs. You decide how much each measure weighs, and the result is multiplied by what his league is worth. If every league is worth the same to you, leave them at 100 %.
The order shows how far each one stands out from the best in his position. That is why a centre-back can rank above a striker: he stands out more from the other centre-backs than that striker from the other strikers. The score, from 0 to 100, measures that gap.
The starting criteria reward being extraordinary in the position: the balance, what he produces and his skills, weighted equally. Only players with at least 40 % of the league minutes of whoever played most that season make the list, and only those who are good at their job: at least 70 out of 100 in the skills that define their position.
The requirements by position use those same skills, graded from C up to S. They let you say things like “a striker must be at least an A as a scorer”.
Each player appears once, in his position that season. Goalkeepers have their own list. The current season has few matches: its lists move a lot from one matchday to the next.
Frequently asked questions
Who would win the 2026 Ballon d’Or on performance alone?
Under La Lente’s starting criteria —extraordinary in his position: the balance, what he produces and his skills—, the top player of the 2025-26 season is Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), followed by Alessandro Bastoni and Juan Miranda. It is a starting point: change what matters most, the weight of the leagues or the requirements by position, and the list changes.
How is each player’s score calculated?
It blends four of La Lente’s measures, each from 0 to 100 and against those in his position: the balance between what he produces and what he costs (NVP), what he produces, how little he costs and the skills that define his position. You decide how much each one weighs, and the result is multiplied by what his league is worth. The score shows how far he stands out from the best in his position.
Why do trophies and goals not count?
Because you already know those. This tool looks only at the player’s performance in his league: what he gave his team and what he cost it, compared with players in the same position. Goals come in as part of what he produces, penalties excluded, but they do not override everything else.
Which seasons and leagues does it cover?
League seasons from 2024-25 —2024-25, 2025-26, 2026-27— of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, the Eredivisie and Liga Portugal. Each player appears once per season, in his position that season. Goalkeepers have their own list.
Is it related to France Football’s Ballon d’Or?
No. It is an independent tool by Sir Balone, unrelated to the award or to those who run it. There are no votes: the list comes only from the data and from the criteria you choose.