 |
| Lamine Yamal during Spain’s match against Argentina on 19 July 2026. File photograph. Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. |
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal leads an early prediction for the 2027 Ballon d’Or compiled by Troy Deeney, Mike Grella and Nigel Reo-Coker, with the trio placing Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé second.
The former Watford striker, ex-Leeds United winger and former West Ham United midfielder drew up their combined top five during a discussion on CBS Sports Golazo. Their selections also include Jude Bellingham, Michael Olise and Gabriel Magalhães.
Reo-Coker pointed to Yamal’s contribution against Atlético Madrid when explaining his choice for first place, citing the Barcelona player’s influence on matches.
“I put him there because of his influence in games. Look at the Atletico Madrid game; he affects the game, and it is hard to argue.”
The panel selected Bellingham for third, giving Real Madrid two representatives in its projected top three. Bayern Munich winger Olise took fourth in the forecast, while Arsenal centre-back Gabriel completed the five-player selection.
Their prediction would put Yamal two places above his finish in the 2026 award. Bayern striker Harry Kane won that edition, with Mbappé finishing runner-up and Yamal third. UEFA announced Kane’s victory at the ceremony in London on 26 October. Yamal also received the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award.
The other three players in the panel’s forecast finished outside the leading five in 2026. The organisers’ published rankings placed Olise ninth, Bellingham 11th and Gabriel 21st. Their inclusion therefore reflects the pundits’ expectations for the next award rather than their positions in the latest official results.
Kane does not appear in the trio’s predicted top five despite winning the 2026 honour. The England captain scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025/26 campaign and helped Bayern secure a domestic treble. His Champions League contribution included 14 goals as the German club reached the semi-finals.