Discover who the current favourites are to win the World Cup Golden Ball - and their odds of winning the award – to help inform your predictions.
With the World Cup well underway, we take a look at who the World Cup Golden Ball winner odds are favouring at the moment.
The favourites to win the World Cup Golden Ball
Here are the favourites to win the World Cup best player award, according to the latest World Cup betting odds:
Player | Odds of winning the World Cup Golden Ball |
Kylian Mbappe | |
Lionel Messi | |
Michael Olise | |
Erling Haaland | |
Harry Kane | |
Jude Bellingham | |
Lamine Yamal | |
Ousmane Dembele |
Who is leading the Golden Ball race?
While there’s still time for a surprise, here are the players currently leading the chase for the World Cup Golden Ball award:
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe’s international goalscoring record is incredibly prolific. He averages as a goal a game at the World Cup, and is in fine form so far this tournament. If France can make it to a third consecutive World Cup final, their talisman has every chance of claiming the ‘best player’ award.
Lionel Messi
Argentina’s legendary No. 10 has been a consistent force over the course of this World Cup, netting for fun on Argentina’s journey to possible back-to-back World Cups. With Argentina’s route to the World Cup final looking relatively straightforward, Messi will have an eye on another Golden Ball.
Michael Olise
While Kylian Mbappe is topping up his goal tally, it’s Michael Olise who’s pulling the strings with a hatful of assists to his name – topping the list so far with five. With France expected to go deep into the competition, he’ll expect to keep up the rate and increase his haul.
Erling Haaland
We all know of Erling Haaland’s fine goalscoring form for his club Manchester City, and he has maintained his incredible record at the World Cup. Norway have exceeded expectations so far, thanks largely to Haaland’s goals. If he can drag Norway deeper into the competition, he’ll back himself to bag a few more and claim the Golden Ball (and perhaps the Golden Boot).
The top goalscorers at the World Cup so far
If you’re still unsure who to back to win the Golden Ball, why not see who’s currently topping the goals table as the top scoring players at the 2026 World Cup?
