With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race gets going.
Dembele largely secured the award off the back of his performances in helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first European Cup, and the Champions League is yet again likely to have a big say on the Ballon d'Or battle this time around. However, it's also a World Cup year, so there is a chance that the eventual winner doesn't emerge until the summer in North America.
Don't forget, too, that there is the Africa Cup of Nations running from late December and into January, meaning there could be some players who don't only shine for their clubs but also impress at major tournaments over the course of the campaign.
The Ballon d'Or race is a marathon not a sprint, and it's worth bearing in mind that Dembele didn't emerge as a potential victor until midway through the 2024-25 campaign. However, with the European season fully up and running, so too are GOAL's Power Rankings, as we track the likeliest winners of the Golden Ball over the coming weeks and months:
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10Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) ↔️
Widely regarded as the best right-back in the world, Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after a season in which he contributed as much to the PSG attack as he did to ensure they remained solid at the back. One of the leaders within Luis Enrique's squad, the Moroccan's performances will again have a large bearing on the French champions' fortunes at home and on the continent.
Hakimi had made a decent start to the season before suffering an ankle injury in late October, and what places him so high in our rankings is the potential for him to shine on the international stage. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and have the strongest squad among the African qualifiers for 2026, meaning another deep run isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Before that, the Atlas Lions are the favourites to triumph on home soil at AFCON, with Hakimi – the newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year – set to be the face of the tournament if can prove his fitness ahead of kick-off.
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9Estevao (Chelsea) 🆕
This might feel a little 'pie in the sky', but there is definitely a logic behind Estevao emerging as a Ballon d'Or contender over the course of the campaign. The teenager has quickly become a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge following a series of eye-catching performances, and he announced himself to the European audience with his superb strike in Chelsea's Champions League win over Barcelona.
There is a world where Estevao becomes the Blues' main attacking outlet by the end of the season, while the evidence of the past few international breaks suggests that it will be he rather than Vinicius Jr that Brazil will be looking to for inspiration as they aim to win a sixth World Cup during the summer. That might be a lot to ask of an 18-year-old, but Estevao has shown so far that he is up to the task.
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8Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich) 🆕
Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might not be in such turmoil had Luis Diaz not been sold over the summer. The versatile forward played an important role in the Reds' title triumph of 2024-25, but his desire for a new challenge led to the Anfield outfit accepting a €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) bid from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.
Diaz hasn't looked back since, having struck up a fine understanding with Harry Kane and the rest of his Bayern team-mates. Some of his strikes in the Bundesliga have been stunning, while his double to beat PSG in the Champions League was the kind of match-winning display that catches Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if his subsequent red card means he won't be seen again in the competition until January at the earliest.
Factor in Diaz will be playing at his first World Cup this summer, and he has all the makings of a Golden Ball contender.
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7Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) 🆕
Anyone who predicted that Michael Olise would struggle to make the step up from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has been sorely mistaken, with the wideman having strung together a year or so of fantastic performances for the Bundesliga champions. Equally capable of scoring as he is creating goals for others, the 23-year-old has grown into one of the most fearsome forward players in the German top flight while also making his mark on the Champions League.
Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot despite intense competition for places in the France line-up. As such, he could be one of the stars of the upcoming World Cup for one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
Australia were 16 for 1 off 2.1 overs before rain ended the game after rain earlier in the day had delayed the start
Alex Malcolm03-Oct-2025 – No resultRain only allowed for 13 balls in the second T20I in Mount Maunganui with Australia retaining the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy over New Zealand after the match was abandoned, with one game to play on Saturday.Persistent rain for the entire day subsided just after the scheduled 7.15pm start which allowed for a toss to happen at 7.45pm with both teams planning for an 8.15pm start and an 18-over-a-side game. Michael Bracewell sent Australia in as New Zealand made three changes with Ben Sears returning from injury, Ish Sodhi becoming New Zealand’s most-capped men’s T20I player, and Jimmy Neesham called in to replace Kyle Jamieson, Zak Foulkes and Bevon Jacobs.Related
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Australia would have bowled on the same surface as game one but were forced to bat first after the pitch spent all day under covers. Australia made only one change with Sean Abbott called in to replace Ben Dwarshuis, who was rested.But rain returned just before the scheduled start and did not abate until 8.47pm. It took 43 minutes to dry the ground and set up a nine-overs-a-side game.The teams did not get through the 2.4 over powerplay. Australia struggled to 16 for 1 as Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy zipped the ball around on the moist surface. Travis Head was the only wicket to fall, slicing Duffy to Devon Conway at backward point.The rain returned and never stopped. The two teams will return on Saturday for game three but the forecast is not promising.
Shoriful Islam produced a miserly spell with the ball and added crucial runs with the bat as Bangladesh secured a two-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20I in Sharjah. The result gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Once again, Bangladesh had to recover from a collapse after a strong position in their chase, with Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, and Nurul Hasan playing key roles in the middle order. Shoriful’s all-round contribution proved decisive in a tense finish.
Shoriful takes Bangladesh home with bat
Bangladesh slipped from 102 for 4 to 129 for 8 in the space of four overs. Noor Ahmad removed Shamim for 33, before Nasum Ahmed, who looked competent with the bat until he unnecessarily slogged at Rashid Khan, fell in the 16th over. Azmatullah Omarzai removed both Mohammad Saifuddin and Rishad Hossain in the 18th over.Bangladesh needed 19 runs to win in 12 balls, with eight wickets gone, but Nurul Hasan kept them in the hunt. He started the 19th over with a six off Noor, before taking a single. At the time, it seemed like a dicey move. But with three runs coming off wides and seven off Shoriful’s bat – that included a straight boundary – it left Bangladesh with just two to win in the final over.Ibrahim Zadran scored 38 in 37 balls•ACB
Shoriful had kept the strike for the last over, and crashed Omarzai’s first ball down the ground for the winning runs. Nurul remained unbeaten 31 off 21 balls, while Shoriful smashed a decisive 11* in six deliveries.
Jaker, Shamim revive Bangladesh
Omarzai gave Afghanistan the perfect start with the ball, removing openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain. Rashid took a good tumbling catch at mid-off to get Tanzid in the second over, before Omarzai trapped Parvez lbw in his next over. Saif Hassan struck a couple of sixes on either side of the wicket, but became Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s victim in the fifth over. Sediqullah Atal took a catch running back from extra cover, as Bangladesh slipped to 24 for 3.Shamim responded to the situation aggressively, hammering Rashid for a six to end the powerplay. Jaker then struck his first six in seven innings when he lofted Mohammad Nabi over long-on. It was followed by a flick over square leg off Abdollah Ahmadzai in the next over.Shamim struck his second six, a huge hit over midwicket, off Noor, as Bangladesh looked on the path to recovery. Jaker, who reached double figures after four consecutive single-figure scores, fell lbw to his opposite number Rashid for the second game in a row, as the fourth-wicket stand between him and Shamim ended on 56.Shoriful Islam gave just 13 runs in four overs•AFP/Getty Images
Rash shots upend Afghanistan’s start
Afghanistan started slowly, managing only 35 runs in the powerplay, but they did not lose a wicket. Atal tried to up the ante in the eighth over, hitting Rishad for a couple of sixes. But it was followed by his wicket next ball, as the left-hander was caught at long-on for 23. That broke the opening partnership on 55, before Nasum had Zadran caught at long-on, too, for 38 off 37 balls. When newcomer Wafiullah Tarakhil fell for 1, also taken at long-on, Afghanistan’s steady start had evaporated.
Shoriful leads Bangladesh’s squeeze
Three of Bangladesh’s five bowlers finished with great economy rates. Shoriful conceded just 13 runs in his four overs, while Nasum and Saifuddin also kept their economy rates below 6.50 in their respective four overs. Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad were expensive, though the latter picked up two wickets.Nasum removed Darwish Rasooli after he had struck him for a six the previous ball. Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck Rishad for two sixes, but fell to Shoriful in the 17th over, having made 30. Afghanistan made just 40 runs in the last five overs, losing one wicket, and hitting just two sixes during this phase.
The first 11 matches of the World Cup delivered a reach of 72 million, which, the ICC said, marked “a 166% increase from the previous edition”
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2025The India vs Pakistan women’s ODI World Cup game on October 5 has broken digital-viewing records with “a reach of 28.4 million and 1.87 billion minutes consumed, making it the most-watched women’s international cricket match of all time”, an ICC statement on Thursday said.That was the standout match in terms of viewership, but even outside of it, the first half of the league stage of the World Cup delivered “record-breaking numbers across digital and linear platforms”, the ICC said.The India vs Pakistan game has also become the highest-rated league-stage match in the history of the tournament when it comes to TV viewership, while the first 11 matches, including India’s matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, delivered a reach of 72 million. That, the ICC said, marked “a 166% increase from the previous edition”. Also, “viewing minutes surged 327% to 6.3 billion”.Related
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Attendance at stadia has also been healthy, with stands filling up especially for India’s matches in India and Sri Lanka’s matches in Sri Lanka, though matches featuring visiting teams without any “home” interest have not always had too many people in the stands. In Colombo, when matches have not featured Sri Lanka or India, stadium attendance has been in four figures at times, though the weather has played its part in that.”According to data released jointly by ICC and JioHotstar, the first 13 matches of the tournament have already reached over 60 million viewers, a five-fold increase over the 2022 edition, while total watch-time has hit 7 billion minutes, up 12 times from the previous tournament,” an ICC statement said, adding that the India vs Australia game on October 12 “recorded 4.8 million peak concurrent viewers on JioHotstar, another all-time high for women’s cricket”.
While their start to the season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have some seriously talented players in their squad.
For example, the likes of Freddie Potts, Lucas Paqueta, Mateus Fernandes and El Hadji Malick Diouf are all quality options.
However, when it comes to the Hammers’ most crucial player, it’s impossible to ignore Mr West Ham himself, Jarrod Bowen.
At his best, the Englishman is a force of nature, and so fans should be excited about reports linking the club with someone who could be Bowen 2.0.
West Ham target their next Bowen
Since moving to West Ham in 2020, Bowen has made 251 appearances for West Ham.
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In that time, he’s provided 53 assists and scored 77 goals, including what will probably be the most important he’ll ever score, the winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League Final.
There can be no doubt that the Leominster-born international has been one of the greatest transfers the club have made in the modern era, and so it’s exciting to see that they might be about to make a similar one.
At least, that is according to a recent report from Sports Boom, which claims West Ham are interested in Scott Twine.
The report goes further, revealing that the Irons are in fact plotting an £8m swoop to sign the Bristol City star as soon as January.
However, the East Londoners are unlikely to get a free hit at the Englishman, as the report has also highlighted Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers as interested parties.
With that said, even if it’s not a straightforward deal, West Ham should pursue Twine, as he could be a Bowen repeat.
Why Twine could be a Bowen repeat
Now, the first thing to point out is that, yes, Twine is primarily a midfielder and therefore plays a very different role and style compared to Bowen.
However, where he plays is not what makes this a potential repeat of the move for the 28-year-old.
Instead, one of the main similarities is that, were this deal to go through in January, it would be another example of the Hammers signing one of the most interesting English players from the Championship.
For example, in the half-season before his move to East London in 2020, the former Hull ace had racked up a monstrous tally of 17 goals and six assists in 32 games.
Twine’s 25/26
Appearances
17
Starts
17
Minutes
1318′
Goals
6
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
131.8
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Now, the Bristol star hasn’t been that much of a goal threat, but considering he is a midfielder, his tally of six goals and four assists in 17 appearances is still hugely impressive.
Moreover, while it would be foolish to expect the Swindon-born ace to be as good for the Irons as their captain has been over the years, there is at least one area of the game in which he’s arguably world-class: free-kicks.
For example, four of his 11 goals over the last two years have come from them, and when you see the quality of them, it’s hard to disagree with one content creator who has dubbed him “the best free kick taker in the world.”
With that said, Bristol’s manager, Gerhard Struber, has made clear that the 26-year-old “is not only a free-kick monster; he is also a really good transition player.”
Ultimately, while he isn’t going to be as transformative as Bowen has been, Twine could be another excellent signing from the Championship for West Ham, and given his price tag, a bit of a no-brainer.
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Jogador do DC United, da MLS, a liga dos Estados Unidos, Gabriel Pirani concedeu entrevista exclusiva ao Lance! e falou sobre a importância de Fernando Diniz na carreira. O atacante brasileiro foi comandado pelo treinador em duas oportunidades, em 2021, no Santos, e em 2023, no Fluminense.
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Revelado pelo clube paulista, Pirani teve uma maior presença com Diniz em São Paulo, mas a parte mais vitoriosa fica no Rio de Janeiro. No último ano, o jogador conquistou a Libertadores, Campeonato Carioca e Taça Guanabara, e marcou dois gols em 24 partidas.
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– O professor Diniz me tirou da zona de conforto, me fez aprender mais sobre futebol e entender o campo de outra forma. Ele busca ajudar o atleta em todos os aspectos para chegar em alto nível – disse.
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– O diferencial dele (Diniz) é tratar o atleta como um ser humano… Para ele, a evolução do jogador é como um título e isso, querendo ou não, ganha o jogador – destacou.
A relação entre Fernando Diniz e jogadores, principalmente do Fluminense por conta da maior duração pela atual passagem, fez com que Pirani colocasse o treinador como um dos pontos mais importantes de sua carreira em termos de evolução.
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➡️Juventus demite Allegri e já está próxima de acordo com treinador brasileiro; entenda
Em meio às críticas da torcida, o técnico do Fluminense insistiu na presença do atacante em alguns jogos da temporada. Como resultado, Pirani marcou um gol importante, no clássico contra o Flamengo, em que garantiu a vitória por 2 a 1 e o título da Taça Guanabara.
– Sou muito grato por tudo que vivi e aprendi trabalhando com ele. Sem dúvidas, sou um atleta diferente após conhecê-lo – afirmou.
Em janeiro deste ano, o Santos oficializou a venda de Gabriel Pirani para o DC United, da MLS, por 1,3 milhão de dólares (cerca de R$6,3 milhões na cotação da época). Pelo clube norte-americano, o atacante soma 2 gols em 23 jogos.
➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!
Blue Jays star outfielder George Springer exited Toronto's loss in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series after getting hit on his right kneecap by a 95-mph sinker from Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo. Springer, clearly in immense pain, laid on the ground for a few minutes as the Blue Jays trainer and manager John Schneider emerged from the dugout.
With Schneider and the trainer by his side, Springer limped his way up the first base line in an apparent attempt to remain in the game before ultimately exiting the contest, where he was helped down the dugout steps into the clubhouse. Springer was replaced at first base by pinch runner Joey Loperfido.
After the game, Schneider spoke to reporters and provided an update on Springer while also getting something off his chest. The Blue Jays manager took exception to what he believed to be an inappropriate reaction to the Springer injury by the crowd at T-Mobile Park.
"He's got a right knee contusion. He had X-rays, which were negative, which is a good thing," Schneider said. "George is about as tough as they come. I think he'll have to really, really be hurting to not be in the lineup on Sunday. So we'll see how he is.
"On that note, I know this is an awesome atmosphere to play in. And it's really, really cool to play here. And I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of player he is. And—I'll stop there because when a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain and you have 40,000 people cheering, not the right thing to do."
Schneider is referring to the reactions to the crowd, in which there were some seeming boos when Springer slowly made his way up the first-base line.
One of the game's great postseason performers, Springer has continued his October excellence against the Mariners—he has seven hits, two home runs and four RBI in five ALCS games—to the chagrin of Seattle's fans, who have taken to booing him heavily during the three contests played at T-Mobile Park.
While most of the boos could be seen as a sign of respect for Springer's greatness, Schneider clearly felt that Mariners fans took it a step too far on Friday night.
The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the World Series for the first time since 1993 after beating the Seattle Mariners, 4-3, in a thrilling Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.
While their trip to the World Series is huge for all of their players and fans, it's also special for former New York Yankees great, Don Mattingly.
Mattingly, who spent his entire playing career with the Yankees and won the AL MVP award in 1985, is the bench coach for the Blue Jays. This will be his first-ever trip to the World Series as he never made it that far in either his playing days or during his coaching career, which has seen him manage the Dodgers and the Marlins.
Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2011-15. He won three NL West titles during the time but only made it to the NLCS once in 2013 where his team lost to the Cardinals in six games. The next two seasons the Dodgers only made it to the NLDS.
He then managed the Marlins from 2016-22 but only made the playoffs once, losing in the NLDS in 2020.
Here are some more wild stats that show how Mattingly narrowly missed out on a number of chances to make it to the World Series:
@thats_bb_suzyn
Mattingly has been the Blue Jays' bench coach since 2022. Now he's in his first World Series at the age of 64.
The openers put on a 159-run partnership to help beat Zimbabwe 3-0
Sreshth Shah02-Nov-2025On a flat pitch in Harare, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided a demonstration of what a modern T20 opening stand looks like with their clean swings of the bat and ruthless targeting of the bowlers. Their 159-run partnership lifted Afghanistan to 210 for 3 and, despite a spirited chase led by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett, and Ryan Burl, the visitors closed out the game to complete a 3-0 series sweep.Afghanistan’s nine-run win on Sunday without Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai – both rested – completed a superb turnaround on the tour after going down by an innings and 73 runs in the one-off Test last month. They have now won 19 out of the 21 T20Is played between the two sides.A menacing powerplayThe first over delivered by Wellington Masakadza set the tone for the innings. He conceded 19 to Gurbaz’s bat. First, Gurbaz bent low, rolled the wrists, and paddled one fine for four. The next ball, Gurbaz stepped down the track to launch it straight back over the sightscreen and into the trees. When Masakadza corrected his line, Gurbaz stayed deep and carved him past point for another boundary, before pre-empting a straighter one and paddling again past short fine leg.From there, every bowler faced the same problem. Richard Ngarava’s short ball sat up to be pulled while Brad Evans induced a mis-hit that he himself spilled. There really was no stopping Gurbaz.In the fourth over, Tinotenda Maposa met Ibrahim in full rhythm and four consecutive boundaries followed: a smack through midwicket, a punch past mid-off, a square cut off the back foot, and a fluent drive through cover. By the time the powerplay ended, Afghanistan were 73 for 0, their third-highest total after the first six overs.Ibrahim Zadran struck his third successive T20I fifty on Sunday•Zimbabwe CricketThe stand swells; Afghanistan post 210The next phase was about control without risk. Raza turned to himself and bowled with discipline (4-0-20-0). But from the other end, the runs kept coming. Burl, in particular, was taken for 30 runs in the 14th over. Gurbaz started with a paddle over fine leg, followed by a drive drilled straight back past the bowler. When Burl went wide, Gurbaz stepped out and sent it sailing over long-off; the next, he picked up and deposited over cow corner. The fifth ball was sliced through extra-cover, and the last was lifted flat over long-on.At 155 for 0 after 15 overs, Afghanistan had broken the game. Zimbabwe needed something special and it came from Raza himself – sprinting back from extra cover to grab a running, diving catch off Ngarava’s slower ball. Gurbaz, the dismissed man, made 92 off 48 and hit eight fours and five sixes. Ibrahim, whose fifty had arrived in a quieter fashion, was next to go, beaten by Evans’ slower delivery and bowled for 60. Sediqullah Atal finished the job, clearing the ropes three times in an unbeaten, 15-ball 35 to help the visitors post 210 for 3.Raza, Bennett spark hopeZimbabwe’s reply started poorly. Dion Myers’ lazy run-out and Brendan Taylor’s chip to mid-on inside the powerplay left them at 19 for 2, but then came the counterattack. Raza and Bennett turned the evening into a contest again.Raza was characteristically dismissive of length. He pulled anything short, carving Fazalhaq Farooqi over square leg and slicing Fareed Ahmad through cover point. Bennett played some audacious shots too — a ramp over fine leg off Fareed and a checked drive past mid-off. Their 85-run stand off 48 balls had Harare clapping again.Sikandar Raza made 51 in 29 balls•Zimbabwe CricketRaza’s fifty arrived in 28 balls but his innings ended in a fluke when a sweep shot off Mohammad Nabi rolled off his glove, then his pad and onto the stumps. Bennett carried on for 47 before mistiming to mid-off. At that point, Zimbabwe were 126 for 4 in 12.5 overs.Fareed, Ahmadzai take Afghanistan homeThat could have been the end, but Tashinga Musekiwa and Burl kept the chase alive. Burl’s three sixes rekindled belief, while Musekiwa’s shots through mid-off and midwicket kept Zimbabwe within touching distance. Even after Burl’s exit for 37 off 15 balls, there was hope.With three overs to go, Zimbabwe needed 39, but Fareed’s double strike in the 18th over — bowling Clive Madande and having Evans brilliantly caught by Gurbaz — broke the chase once and for all. Farooqi conceded only 10 in the 19th, leaving Abdollah Ahmadzai with 18 to defend off the final over.Ahmadzai’s first ball was a yorker, his second uprooted Maposa with an inswinger that tailed late, and off the last ball, Ngarava’s flick hung in the air at square leg. Mujeeb Ur Rahman juggled and held on to bowl Zimbabwe out.