Updated Ballon d’Or Rankings After Barcelona Defeat Galatasaray 4–1 and Bayern Munich Drop Points
- Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or push took a hit after Bayern Munich were held to a draw by Norwegian club Viking in the UEFA Champions League
- Lamine Yamal won Man of the Match as Barcelona came from behind to beat Galatasaray 4-1 in Istanbul, moving to the top of the Champions League table
- Updated Ballon d'Or rankings place Kylian Mbappe first, with Yamal second and Kane third after the latest round of Champions League matches
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Harry Kane's bid to claim the 2026 Ballon d'Or has taken a serious blow after Bayern Munich were pegged back to a draw by Viking in the UEFA Champions League, while Lamine Yamal strengthened his own case with a dominant display as Barcelona defeated Galatasaray 4-1 away in Istanbul on Tuesday, October 13.
Viking, who were playing in Norway's second tier as recently as 2018 and are appearing in Europe's elite competition for the first time since 1992-93, stunned Bayern with two first-half goals before Kane pulled one back with a penalty and then a back-post header to level the scores.
Source: Getty Images
According to BBC Sport, Luis Diaz gave Bayern the lead again with a tap-in, but the tie turned when Michael Olise received a second yellow card in quick succession, one of which came for throwing the ball into a Viking player's face.
Down to ten men, Bayern were unable to hold on. Substitute Herman Haugen headed home at the back post to earn Viking a fully deserved equaliser.
Barcelona turn it around in Istanbul
At Istanbul's Ali Sami Yen stadium, Barcelona looked shaky early on as Galatasaray took a 27th-minute lead through a deflected effort from Aleksei Batrakov, before Victor Osimhen headed what appeared to be a second only to be ruled offside.
Barcelona, though, regrouped and levelled through Joao Cancelo after Dani Olmo seized on a mistake by Davinson Sanchez.
According to MARCA, the second half belonged to Yamal as the 19-year-old set up Fermin Lopez for Barcelona's second in the 50th minute with a curled cross, then tormented Turkey international Eren Elmali repeatedly before threading a pass to Anthony Gordon, who finished to make it three.
After 65 minutes, a Yamal pass found its way to Karim Adeyemi, who drilled in a fourth.
Yamal finished without a goal, which would have moved him closer to Kylian Mbappe's record for Champions League goals as a teenager, but he again wore the captain's armband after Pedri was substituted.
The win moved Barcelona to the top of the Champions League standings with two wins from two matches, while Galatasaray remain pointless near the bottom.
Updated Ballon d'Or rankings
According to Score 90, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe leads the Ballon d'Or race after finishing as top scorer in LaLiga, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup, though he ended the year without a major trophy.
Yamal sits second on the rankings after helping Barcelona win the LaLiga title and the World Cup. Kane is third, with Rodri of Barcelona and Erling Haaland of Manchester City completing the top five.
Bayern star predicts Ballon d'Or winner
Legit.ng previously reported about Josip Stanišić’s choice for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the Bayern Munich defender backing team-mate Kane ahead of Yamal and Mbappé.
Stanišić said Kane’s value goes beyond goals and assists, pointing to the defensive work he sees in training and matches. He also warned that Kane needs only a second to find space and score.
Source: Legit.ng
