The key facts

  • ESPN's ranking is topped by Lamine Yamal, followed by Bellingham and Olise
  • The top 10 includes three players each from Barcelona and Bayern, as well as representatives of Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City and PSG
  • The methodology assessed a player's contribution to the chances of an average club at the Champions League round-of-16 level; injured players were not considered

Yamal First, Kane and Mbappé Lower

ESPN has compiled a ranking of the best footballers in the world at the current moment. The methodology was built around a specific question: how much a player could raise a team's chances of winning the Champions League if he were added to the squad of an average club at the round-of-16 level of the tournament. Players with injuries were not included in the ranking.

The Top 10 in Full

First place went to Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. Second place belongs to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, and third to Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise. They are followed by Raphinha (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona) and Vitinha (PSG).

Context

The distribution by clubs is telling: the top ten features three representatives each from Barcelona and Bayern Munich, two from Real Madrid, and one each from Arsenal, Manchester City and PSG. Notably, Kylian Mbappé, who is usually considered a contender for the top spots in such lists, took only sixth place, while Erling Haaland was eighth. ESPN also points out separately that Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or for the 2025/2026 season, yet in this ranking he came in only fifth — the criterion here is a different one: not individual awards, but the contribution to the results of a hypothetical mid-table club in the Champions League playoffs.