Erling Haaland finished eighth in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings. It was the fourth time in the last six years that he had been in the top 10, and he finished ahead of Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Michael Olise.
Ranking position
Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane were the only center forwards ahead of Haaland in the rankings. Haaland had finished 26th in the Ballon d’Or rankings after the 2024–25 season, and he was runner-up in the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
Club season numbers
Haaland scored 27 league goals in 2025–26 and won the Golden Boot for the third time in four seasons. Across club and country, he had 58 goals and 11 assists in 64 games in 2025–26.
He was the only current Manchester City player among the list of 30 Ballon d’Or finalists. Haaland also helped Manchester City win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge.
World Cup performance
Haaland scored seven goals for Norway at the 2026 World Cup, including three in the knockout rounds. Norway reached the World Cup quarterfinals, and he scored a brace against Brazil in the round of 16.
Solbakken’s words
Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said during the 2026 World Cup: "He’s the best goalscorer in the world, there is no doubt about that."
Solbakken also said: "And no, I wouldn't swap him for anyone."
