CIES crowns Lamine Yamal, Mbappé excluded from top 5 ahead of Ballon d'Or

The CIES Football Observatory has published its alternative Ballon d’Or ranking, with Lamine Yamal topping the list for the second consecutive year, ahead of Michael Olise and Harry Kane. Kylian Mbappé, despite a prolific goal tally, ranks only sixth.

The institute based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, established this ranking using three criteria: performances across eight areas of play, the competitive level of matches played, and match results. This CIES methodology produces a ranking notably different from usual predictions.

The FC Barcelona prospect thus leads Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, followed by English striker Harry Kane. Lionel Messi rounds out the expanded podium in fourth place, but the CIES notes that the Argentine “would even have been first if performances had not been weighted by the level of matches played” — a direct reference to his performances in MLS.

The surprise comes from Désiré Doué, fifth in the CIES ranking despite France Football not including him among the thirty official nominees for the Ballon d’Or. Mbappé, meanwhile, sits in sixth place, behind the Paris-born player trained at Rennes.

The rest of the top 20 features some expected names: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (7th), Pedri (8th), Erling Haaland (9th) and Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí (10th). Further down, we find Victor Osimhen (11th), Achraf Hakimi (12th), Vinicius Junior (13th) and Rodri (14th), the reigning Ballon d’Or holder. Dayot Upamecano (15th), Rayan Cherki (16th), Nuno Mendes (17th), Jérémy Doku (18th), Raphinha (19th) and Joshua Kimmich (20th) complete this ranking.

The actual 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will name the successor to Ousmane Dembélé, will be presented Monday evening in London at a ceremony hosted by Kate Scott and Thierry Henry. Voting closed on September 28 and no results have leaked to the press at this stage.