The debate over who deserves the Ballon d'Or has a new contender. Just hours before the gala, the CIES Football Observatory has published its traditional ranking of the players with the best performance over the past year, and the winner is once again Lamine Yamal. The young Barcelona talent tops the ranking compiled by the Swiss observatory with a score of 95.8 points, far ahead of the rest of the contenders.

The study combines three variables: the individual performance of footballers in different facets of the game, the competitive level of the matches played, and the results obtained by their teams. Under those criteria, the Spanish international once again stands at the top of world football.

Behind him appears Michael Olise, one of Bayern Munich's biggest sensations, while the podium is completed by his teammate Harry Kane, who maintains his extraordinary goal-scoring output.

The big surprise?

The big surprise comes in fourth position. At 39 years of age, Lionel Messi continues to rub shoulders with the elite and is the oldest player in the entire Top 50. In fact, CIES itself highlights that the Argentine would have taken first place if the ranking did not weight the sporting level of the competitions played.

The Top 10 also shows a strong Spanish and Blaugrana presence. In addition to Lamine Yamal, Pedri appears in eighth position and Pau Cubarsí in tenth, confirming the weight that Barça’s project continues to carry on the international stage.

For his part, Kylian Mbappé occupies sixth place after his first full year at Real Madrid, just behind Désiré Doué and ahead of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Erling Haaland also breaks into the top ten, maintaining his status as an attacking benchmark at Manchester City.

One of the most striking pieces of data in the report is the low-key position of Ousmane Dembélé. The French winger, winner of the most recent official Ballon d'Or, appears only in 27th place in this statistical ranking, far from the top spots.

Beyond the fact that the actual award is decided by voting, the CIES Football Observatory report reinforces a feeling that is becoming increasingly widespread in European football: Lamine Yamal’s reign no longer belongs to the future, but to the present. At 19 years old, the blaugrana phenomenon continues to accumulate recognition and arguments to establish himself as the great reference point of a new generation.

Top 10 in the CIES ranking

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) - 95.8 points

Michael Olise (Bayern) - 93.9

Harry Kane (Bayern) - 90.5

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) - 90.4

Désiré Doué (PSG) - 90.4

Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) - 90.4

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) - 90.3

Pedri González (Barcelona) - 90.3

Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - 90.0

Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona) - 90.0