The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is really starting to heat up. After Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League final, the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Vitinha have massively boosted their chances and will be considered among the current favourites.

However, with the 2026 World Cup still on the horizon, the award is far from being decided just yet. Indeed, the best players on the winning team at that competition – or any other standout stars this summer – will have to be considered for the Ballon d’Or by voters. For example, Lionel Messi won the prize after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar four years ago, while Luka Modric lifted the prize in 2018, after Croatia made the final in Russia.

As such, if England or France do well at the World Cup, there is every chance the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise could win the game’s biggest individual award, despite failing to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich.

Thomas Muller Backs Bayern Star to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or

With the Ballon d’Or race still up in the air, Bayern legend Thomas Muller has weighed in on the debate. The German spent 25 years with the club, winning a whopping 33 trophies. In his final season before heading to MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps, the iconic attacker had the pleasure of playing alongside both Kane and Olise, winning his final Bundesliga with the pair in 2025.

For context, most people consider Kane a favourite for the Ballon d’Or this year. However, Muller thinks that Olise’s “artistic” quality gives him the edge. He explained, via Bavarian Football Works, why he’s backing the Frenchman:

Kane and Olise Have Had Spectacular Seasons

Both Kane and Olise have enjoyed spectacular seasons in Germany, winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.

The English striker has scored a mind-blowing 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern this season, while also having seven assists to his name. His best moment perhaps came in the DFB-Pokal final, as he scored a hat-trick – the 31st of his career – in the 3-0 win over Stuttgart.

Olise has been equally as impressive and grabbed an assist for Kane in that cup final win. That took his tally across the season to a whopping 31, while he has also scored 22 goals, meaning he’s got 53 goal contributions in 52 games across 2025/26.

Clearly, both men are playing at their absolute peak and are in with a shout of winning the Ballon d’Or. If one man can outshine the other at the World Cup this summer, it may well be enough to secure the famous golden ball.

You know how the old adage goes: money simply makes the world go round – and that is also the case for football clubs across Europe who are looking to sign and, therefore, pay the best footballers in the world as much money as possible. So much so that it is repeatedly used as a bargaining stick when it comes to transfer negotiations.

But, in terms of those competing in the Champions League this term, it’s little surprise there is a chasm between what the likes of the now two-time defending champions Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich are able to cough up in terms of wages and that of Qarabag and Pafos FC, two clubs who are deemed to be among the minnows of the competition.

Historically and theoretically, clubs that have the financial capacity to compete at the highest level of European competition are those that often come out on top in the latter stages of the competition and, therefore, hold the trophy aloft. With this season’s competition coming to a close, SalaryLeaks have provided the figures behind each club’s wage bill, as of the beginning of the 2025/26 season.

36. Kairat Almaty – £2.6m

Kickstarting their venture with a 5-0 loss to Real Madrid, Kairat Almaty were among the lowest-ranked teams at Europe’s top table this campaign, and it’s not much of a surprise to see them at the bottom of the pile. This term, the Kazakhstan Premier League outfit spent a mere, in comparison, £2.6 million on wages as they finished bottom of the league phase.

35. Pafos – £3.1m

Having secured the signing of ex-Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz in the summer, Pafos FC were hoping his expertise could see them put some points on the board. Sadly for the Cypriot outfit, they narrowly missed out on the play-off round on goal difference. They reportedly splashed out £3.1 million on wages this year.

34. Slavia Prague – £5.4m

Football aside, there are not many more boisterous stadiums than that of Slavia Prague’s Fortuna Arena. Losing their curtain raiser 3-0 to Inter Milan set the tone in the Czech capital, finishing third from bottom in the league phase. Funnily enough, the £5.4 million they spent on wages puts them in the same place on this list.

33. Bodo/Glimt – £6.4m

Just ahead of Slavia Prague are Bodo/Glimt in 33rd with a figure of £6.4 million spent on player wages. They claimed the scalps of Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and even knocked out last year’s finalists Inter Milan. But as it does for many clubs in this tournament, it ended in heartbreak. The Norwegian side were 3-0 up after their round of 16 first-leg against Sporting Lisbon, but lost 5-0 in the second. Kasper Hogh, 24, is their highest-earning player.

32. Qarabag – £6.5m

Qarabag, as expected, are not far from the bottom of GIVEMESPORT’s 2025/26 Champions League Power Rankings – but that’s to be expected of a side that always have a point to prove in Europe. This year, they put in their best performance ever in the Champions League, making it out of the league phase to the play-off round against Newcastle, before their 9-3 aggregate thrashing. The founding members of the Azerbaijan Premier League in 1992 spent £6.5 million on wages this season.

31. Union Saint-Gilloise – £9.4m

Union Saint-Gilloise came within a whisker of making it out of the league phase, missing out on goal-difference. Paris-born Soufiane Boufal, formerly of Southampton and Angers at the peak of his powers, is currently Union Saint-Gilloise’s highest earning player. The side from Belgium outlay £9.4 million and are ranked 31st overall.

30. Copenhagen – £15.2m

By far, the biggest club in Denmark are none other than FC Copenhagen – but, in the grand scheme of things in Europe, their wage bill of £15.2 million is among the lowest, and the same can be said for their performance is this year’s Champions League, collecting only 8 points. In fact, they are ranked 30th here with Mohamed Elyounoussi being the biggest earner.

29. Olympiacos – £16.3m

One of the most successful clubs in world football by virtue of their ever-growing trophy haul, Olympiacos are a team used to playing in the Champions League, making it to the play-round in this years tournament. On this list, they aren’t as successful – they’re 29th given they spend £16.3 million on wages.

28. Club Brugge – £23.3m

A familiar face for Premier League aficionados, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is back in his homeland and plying his trade for none other than Club Brugge. The 37-year-old, formerly of Liverpool, earns the most of any player in Nicky Hayen’s side, who spent £23.3 million altogether as they made it to the round of 16.

27. Sporting CP – £27.5m

Spending £27.5 million on player wages this campaign are Sporting CP, have thrived in the absence of Ruben Amorim in the dugout. The side from Portugal, who were only knocked out by this year’s finalists Arsenal, pay Francisco Trincao the most, spent £27.5 million on player wages this season.

26. PSV Eindhoven – £28.1m

Alassane Plea, formerly of Lyon and Nice, is now leading the line for PSV Eindhoven and he – thanks to his goalscoring prowess – is the club’s highest earner, but his absence was felt as he missed out through injury whilst PSV slumped to a 28th-place finish in the league phase. Wanting to establish themselves as one of the Eredivisie’s biggest clubs, they spent £28.1 million on wages.

25. Ajax – £28.9m

From one Dutch outfit to another, Ajax – who were once the dominant side in the Netherlands and the Champions League, could only must a 32nd place finish in the league phase. They have a wage bill of £28.9 million, with Ko Itakura, formerly of Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach, being their highest earner on £3.4 million per year.

24. Benfica – £35.4m

Of all the talent that SL Benfica have produced over the years, they often move onto bigger and better things. As a result, the Portuguese club have relied on their brilliant scouting practices; that, in turn, keeps their wage bill relatively low. This season, they made it to the play-off round, losing out to Real Madrid. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin famously got them there, when he scored a last-minute header against the same side in the last match of the league phase, which sent them through to the playoff round at the expense of Marseille. Trubin is also their highest-earning player.

23. AS Monaco – £48.2m

Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco played out a thrilling encounter with eventual champions PSG, losing in the round of 16 by a single goal. They have plenty of big-name players on their books – Ansu Fati and Paul Pogba both spring to mind, but neither are the club’s highest earner. That crown belongs to ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier, whose take home contributes to their £48.2 million-worth wage bill.

22. Eintracht Frankfurt – £51m

Eintracht Frankfurt losing both Hugo Ekitike and Omar Marmoush in the space of seven months, meant the German club were always going to struggle in this season’s tournament, as they finished 33rd. Former Leeds United defender Robin Koch is the club’s highest earner on £4.4 million per year.

21. Atalanta – £55.4m

Atalanta were a dark horse under Gian Piero Gasperini, who is now the manager of AS Roma. The side from Bergamo, who now have Raffaele Palladino as their boss after sacking Ivan Juric, suffered one of the biggest aggregate losses in Champions League history when Bayern Munich beat them 10-2, but they’re not afraid to splash the cash on wages – with their expenditure totalling £55.4 million.

20. Villarreal – £56.9m

As a club that have enjoyed success in the Europa League, having beaten Manchester United in the 2020/21 final, it’s somewhat strange to see Villarreal plying their trade at the top. It was short lived and bitterly disappointing though, with them finishing second from bottom in the league phase with a singular point. Nonetheless, they pay their players a grand total of £56.9 million.

19. Olympique Marseille – £64.5m

Before leaving and helping Tottenham fend off relegation, Roberto De Zerbi built a Marseille team packed to the brim with very recognisable names – Benjamin Pavard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spring to mind. The former is the club’s highest earner and their overall wage bill sits at £64.5 million. The French outfit suffered one of the most dramatic exits in Champions League history, when Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin headed a 98th-minute equaliser against Real Madrid and secured the required point to put them in the play-off round over them.

18. Bayer Leverkusen – £65.8m

After sacking Erik ten Hag early in the season, Bayer Leverkusen looked to replicate their success from the 2023/24 campaign under new boss Kasper Hjulmand, but succumbed to Arsenal in the round of 16. Formerly of the Denmark national team, he has a squad boasting an overall wage bill of £65.8 million..

17. Athletic Club – £66.1m

Given that Athletic Club continue to follow their strict Basque Country rule, it’s impressive to see them always there or thereabouts in Europe’s top two competitions, even if they did fiish 29th in the league phase. Nico Williams, who has attracted the interest of Barcelona in windows gone by, earns the most.

16. Galatasaray – £77.6m

Nigerian hotshot Victor Osimhen is the club’s highest-earning player by far – and he repays that by scoring bucketloads of strikes. Altogether, Galatasaray made it to the round of 16, knocking out Juventus and the Champions League’s 16th-highest spenders with an annual wage bill of £77.6 million.

15. Newcastle United – £96.8m

Newcastle United looked as though they’d push Barcelona all the way when their round of 16 tie ended 1-1. But the Magpies were brought back down to earth by the time the referee blew the whistle at the Nou Camp, losing 7-2. Boosted financially by their ownership, they are just inside the Champions League’s top 15 highest spenders in regard to player wages. Sought-after midfielder Bruno Guimaraes earns the most, of course, but Joelinton and Barcelona’s latest signing, Anthony Gordon, also pocketed around the £150,000-per-week mark.

14. Borussia Dortmund – £100.2m

Always in the shadow of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund are still Germany’s second-biggest club by a country mile and that results in a wealthy wage bill of £100.2 million. Dortmund could only reach the play-off round this year, with them losing out 4-3 on aggregate to Atalanta. The now-retired defender, Niklas Sule, pocketed £8.7 million per year as their highest earner.

13. Napoli – £102.1m

You’d think that with Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne in their ranks, Napoli’s would’ve pushed to the latter rounds of the Champions League, but they finished 30th. Antonio Conte’s go-to line-leader in Lukaku is the club’s highest earner; all in all, the side from southern Italy spend £102.1 million on player wages.

12. Juventus – £105m

Once the team to beat in Italy, Juventus‘ stock among fans and players may have depleted in years gone by – but they are still able to outspend plenty of teams who are in this season’s Champions League. The Old Lady, figureheaded by Serbian sharpshooter Dusan Vlahovic, lost to Galatasaray in the play-off round but still managed to spend £105 million.

11. Atletico Madrid – £121.5m

Atletico Madrid‘s Diego Simeone has often been scrutinised for his pragmatic approach to football, but they have always remained a mainstay in the Champions League, making it to this season’s semi-finals. The Argentine boss is the highest-paid manager in world football and his squad are paid pretty well too. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak is his highest-earning star.

10. Inter Milan – £124m

Just cracking the top ten are last season’s Champions League finalists, Inter Milan. Beaten in a record-breaking loss, the Nerazzurri are the highest-spending side from Italy. With their goalscorer-in-chief Lautaro Martinez taking home the most from their squad, their figure stretches to a whopping £124 million.

9. Tottenham Hotspur – £127m

Plying their trade at the top of Europe by virtue of winning the Europa League final last term, making it to the round of 16, Tottenham Hotspur are now under the fresh stewardship of Roberto De Zerbi. Their new boss will be looking to build on securing Premier League survival, albeit without European football, and they’ll do so while spending £127 million on player wages.

8. Paris Saint-Germain – £149m

Despite winning Europe’s premier competition twice in a row, beating Inter Milan and then Arsenal in consecutive finals, Luis Enrique-led Paris Saint-Germain are just the eighth-highest spenders – £149 million – in terms of their wage bill. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele is the highest earner.

7. Chelsea – £150.4m

Chelsea, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Co, have not been afraid to splash the cash on transfer fees, and the same can be said for their wages as well as their sacked managers’ compensation packages. The latest to go is Liam Rosenior, who lasted just over three months. He’s been replaced by Xabi Alonso who will have to contend with the lofty expectations that come with being the manager at Stamford Bridge. The west Londoners coughed up just north of £150 million this year.

6. Liverpool – £155m

Despite being the reigning champions of the Premier League. The Merseysiders suffered elimination at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League and failed to defend their Premier League crown. The now-sacked Arne Slot and Liverpool are the third-highest spending team from England. The departing Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, two of the club’s most important players, were the highest earners; the former pocketed just shy of £21million per year. The Reds, altogether, spent £155 million.

5. Arsenal – £178.5m

Bukayo Saka may be Arsenal‘s posterboy – and highest-earner for that matter – but there are a handful of players on the red half of north London who earn big bucks. After a heartbreaking loss on penalties in this year’s final to PSG, Mikel Arteta’s men, who spend more on wages than Liverpool, have a wage bill of £178.5 million.

4. Barcelona – £182.4m

Fresh off an 8-3 aggregate win over Newcastle in the round of 16, many expected the Blaugrana to comfortably dispatch Atletico Madrid. But after red cards in both legs, the damage was done, and they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Diego Simeone’s men. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong are all among Barcelona‘s highest-earners, but none of them earn more than the now-departed Robert Lewandowski’s eye-catching £27 million per year. Altogether, Hansi Flick’s serial winners, who are among the favourites to win the competition every year, spent £182.4 million on wages.

3. Manchester City – £194.9m

Manchester City‘s treble-winning campaign in 2022/23 concluded with them winning the Champions League for the first time. Erling Haaland – who is, for good reason, widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football – earns around the £26 million mark, which constitutes to their wage bill of £194.9 million. Their wait for a second Champions League title goes on, with them being eliminated by Real Madrid for the second season in a row.

2. Bayern Munich – £201.7m

Harry Kane, Bayern Munich’s highest-paid player, has fired Vincent Kompany and Co to two consecutive Bundesliga titles with his abundance of strikes. Whether the Bavarians, whose wage bill outlay is £201.7 million, can lift the Champions League remains to be seen.

1. Real Madrid – £247.6m

It’s no surprise to see, when you glance over their star-studded squad including the highest earner in the talismanic Kylian Mbappe, this year’s quarter-finalists Real Madrid top the list with £247.6 million spent on wages this year. The likes of David Alaba, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are also paid handsomely.

Former United States international Landon Donovan caused quite the stir after taking part in a football-related game, appearing to place 141-cap USMNT legend Clint Dempsey above several huge names.

Donovan was with Tim Howard on their podcast “Unfiltered Soccer,” and were doing the “stay silent until you hear a better player” game, centred around the former Fulham and Tottenham forward, with the rules requiring them to remain silent until a player they considered superior was mentioned.

Early names included Joe Cole and Theo Walcott, with neither Donovan nor Howard reacting. While some supporters would question that immediately, there’s at least a reasonable argument for Dempsey being held in similar regard given his longevity in the Premier League and iconic status within football across the Atlantic.

Later in the clip, a former World Cup winner left Donovan silent. Moments later, an ex-Premier League Player of the Season, widely regarded as one of world football’s greatest-ever dribblers also appeared, yet remarkably, both former US internationals stayed silent.

Landon Donovan Believes Clint Dempsey is Better Than two of the Premier League’s Best

Mesut Ozil is one of the most gifted playmakers of his generation. He won the World Cup with Germany, held down a starting place at Real Madrid for three seasons, and became one of Arsenal’s standout creators during a seven-and-a-half-year stint in North London. But Donovan didn’t flinch.

Nor did he when Eden Hazard appeared. A player who at his Chelsea peak was among the best in the world, winning two Premier League titles and averaging a goal or an assist in over 50% of his 245 Premier League matches. Hazard would eventually be snapped up by Spanish giants Real Madrid in a £100 million move in 2019, but broke his ankle soon after the move, and the Belgian was never the same, retiring from professional football four years after the move.

Donovan’s silence suggested he rated Clint Dempsey on a higher level than both players, with him only breaking it for Heung Min Son. There may be some MLS bias here. With the exception of Nani, the only player he rated better was, coincidentally, the only player in the whole video to play in the same league where Donovan himself played for 15 years. With fans quick to point out how wrong they felt he was in the comment sections of the various platforms the clip was posted to.

See the full clip here:

Tim Howard Agreed on Eden Hazard, but Broke Silence for Mesut Ozil

Tim Howard broke his silence when Ozil appeared, but stopped short of speaking when Hazard showed up moments later. This could be seen as even more controversial, given how doubtful it’d be for any football fan to have a ranking of Ozil, then Dempsey, followed by Hazard.

Hazard won five league titles in Spain, France and England, as well as two Europa League titles with Chelsea, and a Champions League crown as part of the Real Madrid squad. Ozil, meanwhile, never actually lifted a league title but did collect four FA Cup winners’ medals with Arsenal, alongside the ultimate honour of the 2014 World Cup with Germany.

Dempsey’s trophy cabinet ultimately lacks the major honours enjoyed by both Ozil and Hazard, in part due to spending the bulk of his European career at Fulham and Tottenham in the Premier League. However, the three-time USA Footballer of the Year still picked up five trophies, including three CONCACAF Gold Cups with his national team, as well as an MLS Cup and a US Open Cup during his time with Seattle Sounders.

While Dempsey’s honours don’t match, his influence on football stateside ensures his legacy remains significant, so much so that it prompted his former USMNT colleagues to rate him higher than most would expect.