The soccer best player in the world debate never really ends, but the last two seasons gave it a clear shape. Lionel Messi stretched his record Ballon d'Or haul to eight trophies in 2023, and the award's roll of honor at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or shows just how steep that mountain is for anyone chasing him. Behind Messi, the new generation of Bellingham, Haaland, Mbappe and Vinicius Junior is fighting for the crown season by season, and each of them has a genuine case on a different metric.
If you want one answer for 2026, most serious polls still split between Messi's longevity and Mbappe's peak-output years at Real Madrid. Career numbers favor Messi without much argument, and his full record is laid out at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi for anyone who wants to check the goal and assist totals. Present-day club form, on the other hand, favors the younger names who play every week at the highest level. FIFA's own yearly vote is tracked at https://www.fifa.com/en/the-best-fifa-football-awards if you want the official line rather than a pundit's opinion.
My honest take is a split verdict. Messi is the greatest player of all time and nobody is close on trophies. Mbappe looks like the best player in the world right now on current form. And when matchday is over and you want something lighter for the evening, this guide to watching classic 80s shows makes a fun change of pace from football arguments.