With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off this week, 48 teams are set to take multiple pitches on North American soil, hoping to put their respective countries on the map and earn the ultimate prize.
Aside from team glory, the Golden Ball, often called the Ballon d’Or, is the trophy awarded to the World Cup’s most outstanding player.
This honor is different from the Golden Boot, which is specifically reserved for the tournament’s leading scorer.
The distinction has solidified the soccer legacies of past stars such as Pelé, Diego Maradona and Ronaldo.
As teams progress past the Group Stage, individual talents start to distinguish themselves as leading candidates.
Lionel Messi’s incredible seven-goal, three-assist run in 2022 earned him honors matching those of his 2014 campaign, making him the first player to win the award multiple times.
2026 World Cup Golden Ball odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Harry Kane | +750 |
| Lamine Yamal | +800 |
| Kylian Mbappé | +900 |
| Michael Olise | 10/1 |
| Lionel Messi | 12/1 |
| Declan Rice | 16/1 |
| Vinícius Júnior | 16/1 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 18/1 |
| Raphinha | 20/1 |
| Pedri | 20/1 |
| Vitinha | 20/1 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 25/1 |
To no one’s surprise, Messi (12/1) on DraftKings is among the top favorites to win this year’s Golden Ball, alongside Qatar 2022 Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé (+900).
Harry Kane (+750), however, is the odds-on opening favorite to win it.
2026 World Cup Golden Ball picks
Lamine Yamal, Spain (+800, bet365)
All eyes will be on the Starboy’s hamstring, but Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente assured that Yamal is “getting better fast, hitting all the targets earlier.”
Even if his role is reduced in Spain’s Group H opener against Cape Verde, Yamal’s explosive dribbling and ability to take defenders one-on-one make him a threat to lead the tournament in goals or assists when fully healthy.
That was demonstrated back at UEFA Euro 2024, when he finished with four assists and a goal en route to La Roja’s fourth European Championship.
In La Liga play this past season, he turned it up a notch before getting hurt in April, accounting for 16 goals and a league-leading 11 assists.
On the main stage of the Champions League, Yamal delivered six goals and four assists in ten appearances.
This could be similar to Mbappé’s ascent in 2022, as Yamal aims to cement his status as one of the world’s best budding stars.
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Vinícius Júnior, Brazil (16/1, DraftKings)
The time is now for Vinícius Jr., and while he’s already collected almost every individual accolade there is to think of, nothing would be better than leading Seleção to a deep run.
With Neymar no longer the same player and dealing with injuries, the Real Madrid star is in the driver’s seat to right his previous wrongs.
In 49 senior national team appearances, Vinícius has scored only nine goals and provided eight assists.
Now, a solid core group of Raphinha, Endrick, Gabriel Magalhães and Igor Thiago, to name a few, has Brazil back in contention as they open in Group C against Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Reuniting with former Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, with whom he won two Champions League titles, helps. Under his leadership, we can expect Vinícius to attack opposing defenses centrally rather than over-dribbling on the wing.
Luis Diaz, Colombia (75/1, Caesar’s Sportsbook)
While a long shot, Diaz was a key player for Bayern Munich this past season, scoring 26 goals in 51 matches. In CONMEBOL qualifiers, he ranked second in goals scored, just behind Messi, with seven.
Los Cafeteros are grouped with Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Portugal.
Diaz tends to perform well in crucial moments, and with 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez alongside him, the 29-year-old has the potential to challenge Portugal’s backline, much to the excitement of Colombian fans in the U.S.
Now, I’m not guaranteeing a Colombian run to the World Cup Final, but if they were to advance out of the Group Stage, it’ll be due to the explosive nature of Diaz’s game.
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
