Flashscore's Player Power Rankings 2025/26: Kane ends season top as Messi & Rodri move up

[p]In a [i][b]Flashscore [/b][/i]feature updated monthly, we ranked the top 10 players in the world based on their performances for club and country across multiple of the biggest competitions, using only events from the 2025/26 campaign.[/p][p]With the World Cup now over and the season complete, everyone has made their case for the Ballon d'Or, with the winner set to be announced in October in London.[/p][p]The stats quoted below are accurate up to and including Monday, July 20th. [/p][p][b]Want to follow the best players in the world more closely? [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/follow-your-favourite-football-stars-and-stay-up-to-date-with-new-player-notifications/bX1BZzYQ/"]Now you can in the Flashscore app![/a][/b][/p][h2]10. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cubarsi-pau/UgTrNwCF/"]Pau Cubarsi[/a] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] (New)[/h2][image alt="Cubarsi was named the best young player as Spain won the World Cup" id="fc8006a7-a6f3-43bc-abf2-0c8a9eb33a9e" credit-line="REUTERS / Hannah Mckay" guid="06249fc1-bf23-4884-aaf6-5182c8dbfa13" original-width="5113" original-height="3525" /][p]Cubarsi didn't enjoy the best season on a personal note playing for Hansi Flick's extremely attacking system, but he did still manage to get his hands on the LaLiga trophy. However, his World Cup campaign reminded everyone why he is one of the most highly-rated young players on the planet.[/p][p]Going into the tournament, most people would have expected [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] teammate Lamine Yamal to be the leading contender for the best young player award. Instead, it was Cubarsi who won it.[/p][p]Spain went on to win their second World Cup, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=UgbUKPmT"]1-0[/a] in the final. Their triumph was built on a strong defence and total control, and Cubarsi was a key part of that. They conceded just a single goal all tournament, and his comfort on the ball helped Spain to a dominant World Cup triumph. [/p][h2]9. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] (Up 1)[/h2][image alt="Haaland scored an astonishing 58 goals for club and country this season" id="02730638-60ed-47df-8140-10432d2124a5" credit-line="REUTERS / Dylan Martinez" guid="d2241f3a-5dac-44eb-aff4-8f23ab6d7341" original-width="5251" original-height="3405" /][p]Off the back of winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with Manchester City, Haaland headed into the World Cup leading the line for an impressive [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] team. [/p][p]And as he has done his entire career, for any team at any level, Haaland scored goals. And a lot of them. The big centre forward netted seven times in just five games, including a brilliant brace against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] to dump them out in the Round of 16.[/p][p]A force of nature, he helped Norway to the quarter-finals - their best-ever World Cup finish. He ended the season with a staggering 58 goals in 63 competitions, but failure to win the Premier League or really make much impact in the Champions League holds him back.[/p][h2]8. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Inter Miami[/a] (New)[/h2][image alt="Messi had an incredible World Cup, scoring eight goals and registering four assists" id="983efde3-d158-4580-8df9-dab553e794e8" credit-line="REUTERS / Dylan Martinez" guid="9119c15c-7829-4e18-8e99-92363e9e9e41" original-width="4229" original-height="3219" /][p]At 39, the eternal Messi defied Father Time once more, enjoying an otherworldly World Cup to singlehandedly drag an Argentina team - that were a shadow of the side that won the trophy in 2022 - back to another final.[/p][p]The little magician had eight goals and four assists during the tournament, and was the man who consistently came up with the goods to dig his nation out of the deepest holes.[/p][p]Argentina looked on the brink against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a], and in precarious positions against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a]. Yet he kept pulling rabbits out of a hat with his wand of a left foot and ability to produce something out of nothing.[/p][p]In the end, he struggled in the final against a significantly better Spain team, and Argentina were pretty dismal in the final. But it doesn't take away from the genius of Messi.[/p][h2]7. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] (Up 2)[/h2][image alt="Dembele helped France to the World Cup semi-finals" id="9fefd456-eb22-4b53-b502-0f46ee52d513" credit-line="IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Jerome Miron" guid="ea1fe77b-60b9-41ba-a034-8e12ba01a425" original-width="4070" original-height="2663" /][p]Dembele played an important role in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League triumph, scoring some crucial goals in the knockout rounds, including a penalty in the final. But despite having a good World Cup on paper, the current Ballon d'Or holder did generally underwhelm.[/p][p]He scored five goals and had two assists at the World Cup as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] lost in the semi-finals to Spain, with three of them coming against a second-string Norway team in the last group game, and another coming in the ridiculous third-place play-off against England. In truth, he never looked as comfortable on the right wing as he does up front for PSG.[/p][p]Alongside this, he started just nine games in Ligue 1 last season, so it is hard to have Dembele that high in these rankings.[/p][h2]6. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Khvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a] - PSG (Down 4)[/h2][image alt="Kvaratskhelia won player of the tournament as PSG won the Champions League" id="2678b5fa-32ac-4ede-bc3a-4745f41f85bf" credit-line="ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / www.imagephotoagency.it" guid="1475b8f1-f2c8-449b-a2d2-f93e26c9951e" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/georgia/YVovjspA/"]Georgia[/a]'s failure to qualify for the World Cup has put a ceiling on Kvaratskhelia's place in these rankings, but it is important to remember just how good he was in the Champions League last season, as PSG won their second title in a row.[/p][p]Kvaratskhelia scored 10 goals and had six assists in Europe, completely erupting in the knockout stages. Three goals and an assist against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a], a goal and an assist against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a], two goals and an assist against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern[/a], while winning the penalty in the final, saw him named Champions League Player of the Season.[/p][p]He also became the first player to score or assist in seven consecutive Champions League knockout matches in the same season.[/p][h2]5. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodri/K0G8DB00/"]Rodri[/a] - Manchester City (New)[/h2][image alt="Rodri won the Golden Ball as Spain won the World Cup" id="076497c9-98ff-4333-b77f-84da98803a20" credit-line="REUTERS / Dylan Martinez" guid="86a0aa7b-2742-4948-989e-0a1c73d21514" original-width="7540" original-height="5300" /][p]After a season plagued by injury with Manchester City, Rodri has shot up this list after winning the Golden Ball with world champions Spain.[/p][p]Rodri was the conductor at the heart of the Spanish team, proving himself as an all-action midfielder and one of the greatest of all time in his position. He joined a list of illustrious names, becoming only the fourth player to win the World Cup, EUROs, Champions League and Ballon d'Or, alongside Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Zinedine Zidane.[/p][p]Simply put, he has now completed football, and this World Cup win makes him a true contender to add to his Ballon d'Or triumph in 2024. However, an inconsistent club season could hold him back. [/p][h2]4. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] (Up 4)[/h2][image alt="Mbappe won the World Cup Golden Boot as he became the competition's top scorer of all time" id="cc265fdd-526a-4695-80b9-004075d40971" credit-line="REUTERS / Carlos Barria" guid="f77ba141-e790-43dc-9b8a-504cdfd2060a" original-width="1759" original-height="1220" /][p]Mbappe failed to win a major trophy last season for club or country, but on an individual basis, he had an extraordinary campaign. The Real Madrid man scored 58 goals in all competitions, and finished top scorer in LaLiga, the Champions League, and at the World Cup.[/p][p]With 10 goals, Mbappe became the first player in history to win two World Cup Golden Boots, and also became the outright top scorer in the tournament's history with 22 goals. An astonishing feat considering he is 27 and probably has two more tournaments in him.[/p][p]A lack of team silverware will be a real issue for him in his bid to win the Ballon d'Or, though.[/p][h2]3. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a] - Bayern Munich (-)[/h2][image alt="Olise broke the record for most assists in a single World Cup campaign" id="4ec0d9e1-42ca-4202-8f62-73924c31cfb9" credit-line="REUTERS / Dylan Martinez" guid="26738383-bd48-48ef-80ea-a966d0cc6326" original-width="3952" original-height="2723" /][p]Olise headed into the World Cup having been named Bundesliga Player of the Season after scoring 15 goals and having a league-high 19 assists in 32 games. In the Champions League, he had five goals and seven assists in 13 games as the Bavarians reached the semi-finals. Again, no one had more assists than him.[/p][p]The Bayern winger didn't get on the scoresheet during the World Cup, but he managed seven assists - the most ever in a single campaign. However, after a fantastic group stage, Olise failed to replicate those same performances in the knockouts as France fell in the last four.[/p][p]Overall, a stunning season for Olise, but perhaps lacking some more decisive performances at the tail end of the biggest competitions.[/p][h2]2. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] - Barcelona (Up 3)[/h2][image alt="Lamine with the World Cup trophy" id="9860c135-c7a0-414b-96ab-7774aa405403" credit-line="REUTERS / Hannah Mckay" guid="962484e6-4e60-44c3-a73b-f5e5235dad73" original-width="5573" original-height="3931" /][p]After a brilliant club campaign and winning the World Cup with Spain, Lamine really should be top of these power rankings comfortably. However, the 19-year-old had a really underwhelming tournament on a personal level, and struggled to showcase anywhere near what he is capable of. [/p][p]Lamine scored just a single goal at the World Cup, which came against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saudi-arabia/biSY8ox4/"]Saudi Arabia[/a] in the group stage. He cut a frustrated figure throughout, and just couldn't get anything going. Of course, his presence on the pitch and confidence to keep taking on his full back aren't to be underestimated. He also became the youngest player ever to win the EUROs and the World Cup.[/p][p]For Barcelona, Lamine had 16 goals and 11 assists in 28 league games as they won LaLiga - no player had more assists than the Spaniard. In Europe, he racked up six goals and four assists in 10 games. One of the most special talents we have ever seen.[/p][h2]1. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] - Bayern Munich (-)[/h2][image alt="Kane helped England to a third-place finish at the World Cup" id="00c1995c-26a5-41d7-a99e-34f572ba7c36" credit-line="REUTERS / Paul Childs" guid="c4264a4d-7c3c-4778-ae0f-bfad88606fdc" original-width="3796" original-height="2612" /][p]Kane has gone wire-to-wire in these power rankings, but his place at the summit is far from convincing, and he could be a spot or two lower.[/p][p]The England captain scored six goals at the World Cup as he helped his nation to a third-place finish - their best since 1966 - although it doesn't really mean too much considering the bronze match had the feel of an exhibition game.[/p][p]Kane ended the season with a mind-boggling 73 goals for club and country - the second-most ever in a single campaign after Messi in 2011/12. He also won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal - in which he netted a hat-trick in the final - while bagging 14 goals in 13 Champions League games. He scored in every single knockout match he played in Europe, and became the first player since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a] to score in six consecutive knockout games.[/p][p]His case for the Ballon d'Or is seriously compelling, but it is hard to ignore the fact that he failed to deliver in the crunch moments for Bayern and England. His brilliant brace against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]D.R. Congo[/a] in the Round of 32 was followed by some really poor performances, and he continues to have the stigma attached of someone who doesn't really turn up when push comes to shove.[/p][p]Yet he has still probably done more than anyone else. This is as open a Ballon d'Or race as anyone can remember, with every candidate having genuine cons to their name. Could Kane become the fifth Englishman to win football's major individual prize?[/p][h2]Want to follow the best players in the world more closely? [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/follow-your-favourite-football-stars-and-stay-up-to-date-with-new-player-notifications/bX1BZzYQ/"]Now you can in the Flashscore app![/a][/h2]