Thomas Müller has two preferred candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or – surprisingly, Harry Kane is not among them.
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced on 26 October, and the race hasn’t been this close for a long time. Almost every day, someone puts one of the many contenders in the frame – if they don’t do it themselves. Now Thomas Müller has also named his favourites – and surprised everyone with one notable omission.
“For me, there are two candidates who have impressed me the most with their individual performances,” writes the 2014 World Cup winner in his newsletter, “and they are Michael Olise and his brilliant partner at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé”. Harry Kane, his former team-mate at FC Bayern, is not mentioned, however.
Olise and Mbappé “combine spectacle with goal-scoring threat”, explains Müller. “In detail, they manage to be efficient with their finesse and power, whilst making the whole thing look incredibly effortless. For me, that’s the stuff of a World Footballer of the Year. It simply takes a touch of magic.” Without explicitly explaining why he ranks Kane behind the duo, Müller seems to suggest that the Bundesliga’s top scorer lacks that touch of magic, despite all his goals and his dedication to the team.
Lamine Yamal is the bookmakers’ favourite
Among the bookmakers, Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona is currently the clear favourite, having beaten Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain last year. Kane is also among the close favourites, whilst Mbappé – whose selection would surprise Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß – can also count on his chances. His compatriot Olise, on the other hand, is merely an outsider.
The Bayern winger only really impressed Müller again in the 7–0 win against Union Berlin before the international break. Whilst “it’s nothing new how he finishes those from outside the box, it’s still a sight to behold time and again”, enthuses the Vancouver Whitecaps striker, who is himself currently shining time and again as a goalscorer. “For me personally, things are going quite well in front of the opposition’s goal,” says the 37-year-old, who has only just extended his contract. “I’ve even been described as dynamic at times.”