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Marca Poll: Mbappé Edges Yamal in 2026 Ballon d'Or Race

According to a Marca survey of its readers, Kylian Mbappé (24%) narrowly leads Lamine Yamal (23%) in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with Fabian Ruiz in third place at 17%.

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Marca Poll: Mbappé Edges Yamal in 2026 Ballon d'Or Race
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Kylian Mbappé tops a poll organized by Spanish newspaper Marca on the future winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with 24% of votes cast by website users, compared to 23% for Lamine Yamal.

The gap between the Real Madrid striker and the FC Barcelona player is therefore minimal, and the poll confirms that the race for the trophy will be fought, in the eyes of the Spanish public, between these two La Liga stars. Fabian Ruiz completes the podium with 17% of votes, buoyed by a season marked by the Champions League-World Cup double. Rodri, the defending champion, receives only 8% of votes and ranks fourth.

Several players closely followed in France appear further back in this ranking. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finishes ninth, while Ousmane Dembélé, the outgoing winner, comes in eleventh. Michael Olise closes the list in fourteenth place.

This poll obviously does not prejudge the final verdict, which will be delivered in London in a month, but it illustrates the dominant perception in Spain: the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be decided between the two La Liga stars, with Mbappé as a slight favorite.

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