On October 26, the Ballon d’Or for the 25/26 season will be awarded. With Harry Kane and Michael Olise, two Bayern Munich stars have legitimate hopes of winning the prestigious award. The latest ESPN ranking now offers a positive sign for Bayern Munich.
It has been several years since a Bayern Munich player wonthe Ballon d’Or. This year, the odds are better than they’ve been in a long time. This is also confirmed by ESPN’s recently published “FC 100” rankings.
The U.S. sports network has published rankings for various positions, listing the best players in each. Harry Kane is ranked as the world’s best center forward, ahead of players like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Ousmane Dembélé.
The evaluation is based, among other things, on a player’s performance, consistency, and impact on his team.
Kane is “the best”
ESPN explains its decision to place Harry Kane at No. 1 as follows: “He’s not just on the list—he’s the best. The fact that he prevailed against such strong competition as Mbappé, Haaland, and Dembélé to claim the No. 1 spot in the world rankings underscores his immense value following yet another high-scoring season.“
Above all, the Englishman’s goal-scoring rate last season speaks for itself: Kane scored a total of 73 goals for his club and national team. Only Lionel Messi scored more goals in a single season during the 2011–12 campaign.
But according to ESPN, Kane impresses not only with his goals: “At the same time, he redefined the role of the center forward and utilized his playmaking qualities more than ever before.”
Olise is the best winger in the world
Alongside Harry Kane, Michael Olise also ranks No. 1 at his position. ESPN considers the Frenchman the best winger in the world, writing: “Two years ago, he was a promising winger at Crystal Palace; now he is perhaps the greatest creative talent in the world.”
Since joining FC Bayern, Olise has scored 42 goals and set up 46 more across all competitions. At the 2026 World Cup, he surpassed Pelé and set the record for the most assists in a single World Cup with seven.
In the ESPN rankings, Michael Olise ranks ahead ofLamine Yamal and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia,among others . Another FC Bayern player, Luis Díaz, follows in fourth place.
The list makes it clear that both Harry Kane and Michael Olise have legitimate hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or. For ESPN, at any rate, it’s clear that the two are the best in their respective positions.