Supercomputer tips Ballon d’Or shockwaves for the next decade
Harry Kane has scooped this year’s Ballon d’Or after a magnificent campaign for Bayern Munich and England, and fair play to him — he was the standout when the votes were counted. But the fun doesn’t stop there, because a supercomputer has already had a stab at mapping out the next decade of football’s grandest individual prize.
And here’s the headline grabber: Lamine Yamal is expected to become a serial winner. The Barcelona youngster, who has made a blistering start to the season with goals and assists pouring out of him, is tipped to claim the award in 2027 — and then go on to win it three times in total over the next 10 years. That’s some prediction, and if you’re backing youth, flair and pure star power, you can see why the machine has gone that way.
Bellingham, Olise and a few eyebrow-raising calls
The model also fancies Jude Bellingham to take the prize next year, which would hardly shock anyone given his ceiling, his mentality and the way he seems to rise in the biggest moments. Michael Olise is pencilled in for 2029, with Erling Haaland next in line after that — though whether he is still at Manchester City by then is another matter entirely.
Further along the timeline, the predictions get even more intriguing. Endrick is backed to land the award in 2032, while Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi is tipped to do something rare and remarkable by becoming the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to win it. Then there’s Arda Guler, a name that will make plenty sit up, before Yamal is forecast to return for another triumph in 2035 and Chelsea’s Estevao to follow in 2036.
It all sounds wonderfully neat on paper, but let’s not kid ourselves — football rarely follows a script. One injury, one transfer, one torrid season, and the whole thing can be torn up. Still, these projections do show where the game thinks the next wave of talent is heading: Spain and England, at least for now, look set to dominate the conversation.
Mbappe and Vinicius left out in the cold
What is perhaps most surprising is the lack of confidence in Kylian Mbappe to collect another Ballon d’Or over the next nine years. That is a bold call, especially given his status, his record in international football and the fact he continues to perform at the very top level at Real Madrid. Likewise, Vinicius Junior is absent from the forecast, which will raise a few eyebrows.
There are always outsiders waiting in the wings, though. From a British perspective, it is fascinating to see Kane, Bellingham and even the broader Premier League influence shaping the early part of the forecast. If you want a reminder that football’s future is always shifting, a glance at the best betting sites makes for a neat way to see how quickly opinion can swing — though on the pitch, of course, it’s the players who have the final say.
For now, Kane has the trophy in hand. The rest is guesswork, but that never stops the football world from having a good old debate, does it?
