Lamine Yamal won his second consecutive Kopa Trophy on Monday night, while at the same time finishing as runner up in the men's Ballon d'Or vote to Ousmane Dembele. This is not normal, of course. The kid is still only 18, which makes us think that we're witnessing the dawning of a new era of domination by a single player.

Indeed, Yamal's prodigious talent has already provoked predictions that the winger anointed Lionel Messi's heir – even by the man himself – might even surpass the Argentine's historic haul of eight Ballons d'Or.

And that got everyone at GOAL thinking about who might challenge Yamal for the title of the world's best player over the next decade. 

Below, we've tried to predict the next 10 recipients of the trophy based on talent, upcoming tournaments and even a few hypothetical transfers…

Getty Images2026: Kylian Mbappe

Yamal is being widely tipped to go one better next year and take home the Ballon d'Or for 2026. However, several superstar strikers, including Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have made strong starts to the new season – and all three play for countries with a real shot at World Cup glory next summer.

Yamal does, too, of course, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that Mbappe will finally lift the Ballon d'Or after winning a second consecutive European Golden Shoe with a resurgent Real Madrid and becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2027: Mohamed Salah

Despite a decade of sustained excellence, Mohamed Salah has never even made the Ballon d'Or podium, with this year's fourth-placed finish representing his best-ever result in the voting.

However, we're predicting (hoping) that one of the most under-valued players in world football finally gets his flowers in 2027 at the age of 35, after enjoying a successful final season at Liverpool and winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. 

Getty Images Sport2028: Jude Bellingham or Cole Palmer

There hasn't been an English winner of the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001 but if football finally goes 'home' at Euro 2028, you can be sure that a member of the triumphant Three Lions squad will claim the prize.

Kane is likely to be over the hill at that point but both Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer should be in their prime – and we reckon the Ballon d'Or will go to whichever one of those two top talents wins the battle for England's No.10 shirt.

After all, we know that both are very popular with the voters. Bellingham managed to finish above Fabian Ruiz this year despite an underwhelming, injury-affected campaign, while Palmer ranked eighth despite going missing for half of the 2024-25 campaign!

Getty Images Sport2029: Erling Haaland

If Erling Haaland had fired Real Madrid to a treble in 2023 rather than Manchester City, would he have won the Ballon d'Or? You'd have to say yes – and that's why we believe the big No.9 will eventually move to the Santiago Bernabeu in order to realise his dream.

Despite strong competition from Mbappe (moved back onto to the wing to accommodate Haaland up front and take the place of the Saudi Arabia-bound Vinicius Junior on the left), the Norwegian No.9 will win a first Ballon d'Or thanks to the most prolific season of his career – and the support of the Madrid media machine.