A domestic double winner, the Bundesliga Player of the Season and the leading assist provider at the FIFA World Cup: Michael Olise's 2025/26 campaign was certainly one to remember. With several game-winning moments to match his remarkable numbers, the Bayern Munich winger has every reason to be eyeing the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Kylian Mbappe reached the top 5 in the all-time Champions League goalscoring table after his goal against Inter Milan, closing in on legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Kylian Mbappe has established himself as the premier forward of his generation, shattering records across European competitions. With his latest strike against Inter Milan, Mbappe moved closer to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by breaking into the top five of the UEFA Champions League‘s all-time goalscoring list. For their 2026-27 campaign opener, Real Madrid faced a challenging test against Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Italian side controlling long stretches of possession. However, capitalizing on a defensive error from Yann Bisseck during build-up play, Real Madrid recovered the ball deep in enemy territory before Brahim Diaz delivered a precise pass to Mbappe, who clinically finished on his first shot in the 14th minute. His strike against Inter Milan brought Kylian Mbappe to 71 career Champions League goals across his tenures with AS Monaco, PSG, and Real Madrid. By doing so, he drew level with Los Blancos legend Raul Gonzalez Blanco for fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring chart. Prior to kickoff, Mbappe received the Golden Boot trophy honoring him as the top goalscorer of the previous Champions League campaign, where he recorded 15 goals in 11 matches. Finding the net immediately in the opener against formidable opposition like Inter Milan sets the stage for another historic campaign for the French superstar. Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler with the Golden Boot and Revelation award. (Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Mbappe still far from the top 3 Having established himself as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history following his performances in 2026, Mbappe now targets the highest peak in European club soccer. Nevertheless, he remains well adrift of the coveted top three, a benchmark requiring multiple seasons to reach. While Cristiano Ronaldo (140 goals) and Lionel Messi (129 goals) sit atop the Champions League leaderboard, Robert Lewandowski occupies third place with 109 goals. Currently tied with Raul, the next target in Mbappe’s sightline is former teammate Karim Benzema, who holds fourth place with 90 goals. When could Mbappe reach Messi and Ronaldo? Currently, Kylian Mbappe’s Champions League portfolio stands at 71 goals through 99 appearances, reflecting an elite scoring clip of 0.72 goals per match. While that efficiency ranks among the greatest in history, maintaining his current pace means Mbappe will require several seasons to surpass the top two. With Messi standing at 129 goals—58 ahead of Mbappe’s current mark—the French forward would need approximately 81 additional matches at his current scoring rate to catch the Argentine icon. To reach Cristiano Ronaldo’s record tally of 140 goals, Mbappe would require 96 additional appearances to match the Portuguese legend’s mark. Top 10 Champions League all-time goalscorers RankPlayerTeamsGoals1stCristiano RonaldoManchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus140 goals2ndLionel MessiBarcelona, PSG129 goals3rdRobert LewandowskiBorussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona109 goals4thKarim BenzemaOlympique Lyon, Real Madrid90 goals5thRaul Gonzalez Real Madrid, Schalke 0471 goals5thKylian MbappeAS Monaco, PSG, Real Madrid71 goals7thErling HaalandRB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City57 goals7thThomas MullerMunich57 goals9thRuud van NistelrooyPSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid56 goals10thHarry KaneTottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich54 goals
West Ham United have named their starting lineup and substitutes to face Bolton Wanderers tonight in the Championship. The post Edvin Austbo Starts – West Ham Team vs Bolton Wanderers Confirmed appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Lionel Messi has been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, his 17th career nomination, while Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record with 18, misses out on a nomination for the second consecutive year. The 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or were revealed on Tuesday, with Lionel Messi among the names included on the list as he seeks his ninth career trophy at the ceremony set for October 26 in London. The Argentine, now playing for Inter Miami, remains in the conversation for football’s most prestigious individual honor even as he continues his career in MLS, a testament to how closely his season is still tracked by voters years after his move away from Europe. This marks Messi’s 17th career nomination for the award, extending a run that stretches back to the mid-2000s and placing him second on the all-time list for most nominations received. Only one player has been nominated more times than the Argentine throughout the award’s history. That player is Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record with 18 total nominations across his career, one more than Messi will have after this year’s list. The Portuguese forward, however, will not be adding to that tally in 2026, missing out on a nomination for the fourth consecutive year as he continues his spell with Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ⬇️Lionel Messi@InterMiamiCF@Argentina#ballondor pic.twitter.com/CxxIMyGlIQ— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 8, 2026 Between them, Messi and Ronaldo remain the two most decorated players in Ballon d’Or history, with the Argentine’s eight trophies standing as the all-time record, three more than Ronaldo’s five. Whether Messi can add a ninth to that collection this October will depend on how voters weigh his 2026 World Cup and MLS exploits against a nominee pool once again dominated by Europe’s top performers. Full list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Lionel Messi (Argentina / Inter Miami)Jude Bellingham (England / Real Madrid)Pau Cubarsi (Spain / Barcelona)Marc Cucurella (Spain / Real Madrid)Ousmane Dembele (France / PSG)Luis Diaz (Colombia / Bayern Munich)Bruno Fernandes (Portugal / Manchester United)Erling Haaland (Norway / Manchester City)Gabriel (Brazil / Arsenal)Harry Kane (England / Bayern Munich)Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / PSG)Lamine Yamal (Spain / Barcelona)Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia / PSG)Marquinhos (Brazil / PSG)Sadio Mane (Senegal / Al Nassr)Lautaro Martinez (Argentina / Inter)Kylian Mbappe (France / Real Madrid)Michael Olise (France / Bayern Munich)Joao Neves (Portugal / PSG)William Pacho (Ecuador / PSG)Julian Quinones (Mexico / Al Qadsiah)Declan Rice (England / Arsenal)Rodri (Spain / Barcelona)William Saliba (France / Arsenal)Dayot Upamecano (France / Bayern Munich)Vinicius Jr. (Brazil / Real Madrid)Vitinha (Portugal / PSG)Fabian Ruiz (Spain / PSG)Ferran Torres (Spain / PSG)Nuno Mendes (Portugal / PSG)
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