Tribal Football

Flashscore's Player Power Rankings 2025/26: Harry Kane leads ahead of the World Cup

Kane holds up the Bundesliga top scorer award
Kane holds up the Bundesliga top scorer awardČTK / AP / Matthias Schrader / Flashscore

The 2025/26 season is heading into the business end of proceedings, and while team success always takes precedence, there is endless major discussion around who the best player in the world is, with eyes towards the Ballon d'Or 2026.

In a Flashscore feature updated once a month, we rank the top 10 players in the world based on their performances for club and country across multiple of the biggest competitions, using only events from the ongoing season.

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With the club season now having ended, the full focus turns to the World Cup, which is set to have a big impact on individual awards.

The stats quoted below are accurate up to, and including, Friday, June 5th. 

Want to follow the best players in the world more closely? Now you can in the Flashscore app!

10. Erling Haaland - Manchester City (Down 2)

Haaland with the FA Cup trophy during Man City's parade
Haaland with the FA Cup trophy during Man City's paradePaul ELLIS / AFP / AFP / Profimedia

It was a bit of a weird season for Erling Haaland. After a lightning start, his form did slightly dip in the latter half of the campaign, which hindered Manchester City as they finished second in the Premier League behind Arsenal, and were eliminated in the Champions League last 16.

Regardless, he still scored 51 goals for club and country, and was the Premier League Golden Boot winner with 27 goals. City also got their hands on a double, claiming the League Cup and FA Cup.

Heading into the World Cup, Norway are dangerous. With Haaland up front, they are regarded as one of the 'dark horses', and if he can fire them to go deep in the tournament, he will certainly rise up these rankings.

9. Ousmane Dembele - PSG (New)

Dembele with the Champions League trophy
Dembele with the Champions League trophyFRANCK FIFE / AFP / AFP / Profimedia

Ousmane Dembele has made the Power Rankings for the first time this season after a late surge saw him be an incredibly influential figure in PSG, becoming the only team, alongside Real Madrid, to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

In Ligue 1, he had 10 goals and seven assists in 22 games, while in Europe, he netted eight goals in 13 games.

During the Champions League, he scored once in the last 16 against Chelsea, twice in the quarter-final against Liverpool, three times in the semis against Bayern Munich - including the only goal in a 1-0 second-leg win at the Allianz Arena - and scored the only goal of the game in the final against Arsenal, with PSG eventually winning on penalties.

France are one of the big favourites at the World Cup, and if Dembele can be influential, driving them to glory, it would be no surprise if he won the Ballon d'Or yet again.

8. Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid (Down 4)

Despite the lack of silverware, it has been a good season for Mbappe personally
Despite the lack of silverware, it has been a good season for Mbappe personallyDavid Canales / SOPA Images / Sipa Press / Profimedia

Kylian Mbappe has racked up simply irresistible numbers this season, yet things have been far from straightforward for Real Madrid. The Frenchman has come under pressure for his role in the team, and questions have been asked about whether he is doing more harm than good with his work ethic and how he affects the team's balance.

Mbappe scored 48 goals for club and country, and was the Champions League's top scorer with 15 goals. He is obviously a brilliant player, but with Jose Mourinho likely to be appointed as manager next season, it will be interesting to see how he is utilised alongside Vinicius Junior.

With Real Madrid failing to win LaLiga or the Champions League, Mbappe will need a huge World Cup to get into contention for the Ballon d'Or. And who is to bet against him? He loves that stage, scoring 12 goals across two tournaments.

He is the sixth top scorer in the tournament's history, and is just five goals away from becoming the outright leader - a seismic feat. He will be desperate to win a second World Cup for his nation.

7. Luis Diaz - Bayern Munich (Down 1)

Diaz with the Bundesliga trophy

Maybe the most underrated player on this list, Luis Diaz has helped Bayern to the domestic double. Across all competitons for the Bavarians, he registered 26 goals and 19 assists, but besides the numbers, his work ethic and intensity offer so much to Vincent Kompany's side.

Colmbia qualified to the World Cup after finishing third in South American qualifying. They have become a great team under Nestor Lorenzo, and could do a lot of damage at the World Cup. Diaz is expected to be the key man behind that.

6. Declan Rice - Arsenal (Up 1)

Rice with the Premier League trophy
Rice with the Premier League trophySportimage, Sportimage Ltd / Alamy / Profimedia

Central midfielder Declan Rice had an amazing end to the season. After being moved into the holding midfield role with a few weeks to go, he was commanding and imperious, guiding Arsenal to the Premier League title - ending 22 years of hurt for fans.

They also came agonisnlgy close to winning their first Champions League title, missing out on penalties to PSG. Despite that heartbreak, it has been an exceptional campaign for Rice. 

A leader on the pitch for club and country, he will be hoping to end another drought - this time for England. Under Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions will be desperate to win a first World Cup since 1966, and Rice's presence in the middle of the park will be integral to any success they have.

5. Lamine Yamal - Barcelona (Down 3)

Lamine Yamal with the LaLiga trophy
Lamine Yamal with the LaLiga trophyJose Breton/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Lamine Yamal missed the final month of the season with an injury, as he looks to get fit for Spain's opening game at the World Cup. For Barcelona, he was a joy to watch all campaign, as they retained their LaLiga title.

Lamine had 16 goals and 11 assists in 28 league games - no player had more assists than the Spaniard. In Europe, he racked up six goals and four assists in 10 games. Stellar numbers for the 18-year-old.

Spain are European champions, and one of the big favourites to win the World Cup. If they do, and if Lamine plays a major part, don't be surprised to see him take top spot...

4. Vitinha - PSG (Up 1)

Vitinha kisses the Champions League trophy
Vitinha kisses the Champions League trophyCraig Mercer / Alamy / Profimedia

The man who keeps things ticking over for PSG, Vitinha is the heartbeat of the back-to-back Champions League winners. In the final, he completed 141 passes - the highest number in a Champions League final since records began in 2003/04.

Throughout the Champions League, the Portuguse superstar had the most touches (1898), successful passes (1589), forward passes (399), passes into the final third (190), and also scored six goals.

Now his next job is to bring a first World Cup to Portugal. He is part of a star-studded squad that will have expectations of lifting the trophy, and Vitinha has the chance to cap off an incredible season. 

3. Michael Olise - Bayern Munich (-)

Olise with the Bundesliga Player of the Season trophy

The only disapppointment for the Bayern boys this season is that they didn't win the Champions League. After being edged out 6-5 during a thrilling semi-final tie to PSG, they had to settle for purely domestic success.

Olise had an otherwordly season. He was named Bundesliga Player of the Season after scoring 15 goals and having a league-high 19 assists in 32 games. In the Champions League, he had five goals and seven assists in 13 games. Again, no one had more assists than him.

The creative force for Bayern, he will now be expected to do the same role as part of stunning France attack at the World Cup. 

2. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - PSG (Up 8)

Kvaratskhelia with the Champions League trophy

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia surges up the Power Rankings after an extraordinary end to the campaign, especially in Europe, resulting in him being named Champions League Player of the Season.

Kvaratskhelia scored 10 goals and had six assists in Europe, completely erupting in the knockout stages. Three goals and an assist against Chelsea, a goal and an assist against Liverpool, two goals and an assist against Bayern, while winning the penalty in the final, showcase that.

An electric, unplayable winger, he is an absolute joy to watch, but the one issue for him is that Georgia aren't going to be at the World Cup. It'll almost certainly hinder him in these rankings come the end of the tournament.

1. Harry Kane - Bayern Munich (-)

Kane with the DFB-Pokal trophy
Kane with the DFB-Pokal trophydiebilderwelt / Alamy / Profimedia

It has been a total wire-to-wire dominance from Harry Kane in these Power Rankings! The Bayern man has been top since day one, and hasn't relinquished his position.

Where to start? He scored 66 goals for club and country this season. 61 of those came for Bayern - the most by a player in a single campaign since Cristiano Ronaldo (61) for Real in 2014/15.

He scored a hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal final as Bayern beat Stuttgart, while also bagging 14 goals in 13 Champions League games. He scored in every single knockout game he played in Europe, and became the first player since Ronaldo to score in six consecutive knockout games.

If he had won the Champions League, he'd have had the Ballon d'Or almost wrapped up. He remains the favourite for it, but he will need to have a big tournament with England at the World Cup, and take them at least close to winning it, and by scoring a lot of goals.

Regardless, it has been a historic season for Kane.

Want to follow the best players in the world more closely? Now you can in the Flashscore app!

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