The Ballon d’Or Shortlist Exposes the Premier League’s Lack of Attacking Superstars, But 2026-27 Could Change the Story

The 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist presents a disturbing challenge for the Premier League: Do England's top-flight league still have any true attacking difference-makers at the highest level?

Declan Rice, Gabriel and William Saliba (Arsenal), Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes were the only Premier League players to feature in the 30-man shortlist. That is a poor number for a league that boasts the world's deepest bench of football talent.

La Liga Continues to Produce Attacking Superstars

This is even more telling when compared to La Liga. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the leading talking points in attack, with Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal all getting a mention, while Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí is also getting recognition.

It’s not as if the Premier League lacked quality. It obviously didn’t. Instead, there was a clear difference in the type of players each league had, as shown by the shortlist.

Premier League teams were lacking decisive forwards, attackers who could decide games, create something out of nothing, and make the difference from creativity to finishing.

England continues to excel in midfield power, defensive depth and physical intensity, while Spain’s biggest clubs remain home to players capable of deciding games through creativity, individual brilliance and attacking imagination.

Last Season’s Attacking Problem

Set-pieces, mechanical transitions and structured attacks were the order of the day at the Premier League level, while there was a scarcity of open-play creativity.

Haaland was still the league's most obvious attacking figure as he had managed to bag 27 Premier League goals and 35 goals in all competitions. Yes, he was a key figure for Manchester City last season, but not as reliable as one might have hoped. He wasn't that guy who could pick up the slack at City or when they were down when they needed him the most. He played his part and contributed, but outside of his goal output, his overall influence wasn’t quite exceptional.

Meanwhile, Fernandes had a Premier League record 21 assists, but his numbers were in a Manchester United team that was inconsistent. While his individual output was impressive, it wasn't always enough to secure team-level dominance that can propel a player into the Ballon d'Or discussion.

Spain’s Attacking Difference

The situation was different in Spain.

Yamal remained the club's main creative threat, scoring goals and creating chances in ever more impressive fashion, and was now regarded as one of Europe's top young attackers.

Mbappé, on the other hand, added another dimension of scoring quality and quantity to Real Madrid, winning the golden boot in all competitions he played in.

That is the kind of player that can alter the pace of a game almost single-handedly, and that's one of the best things about La Liga.

A Different Premier League Emerging in 2026-27

Haaland, Isak, João Pedro, Saka and Fernandes have already shown an improvement in their final third after four matchdays, with more variety than the penchant for set-pieces and structured play displayed last season.

In particular, Haaland has begun his campaign with a consistent scoring pace that has helped Manchester City to kick off the campaign on a high. His goals are not just the numbers. But they are the end product of a Manchester City side that appears to be in order and clinical again, and that can help the Norwegian in the individual awards that will come later.

Isak’s Liverpool Challenge

Alexander Isak has also made his mark early on at Liverpool, stating his readiness to play at the top individual level.

The Swedish international has come up with his goals (4) at a rapid pace, but Liverpool's fortunes are not as consistent this season, as the striker will require consistency from the players around him to boost his argument to become a contender for the Ballon d'Or.

João Pedro’s Opportunity at Chelsea

João Pedro, on the other hand, has become one of the most prolific and inventive attacking players at Chelsea under Xabi Alonso.

He has proved himself to be more than just a finder of space, as he has been able to build and add to Chelsea's attacking play. He has also won the Premier League Player of the Month award. If he continues in this form and plays a key role in Chelsea winning the league this season, he could definitely find himself in the Ballon d’Or conversation.

But his platform may be constrained by a lack of Champions League football this season and defensive weaknesses that could be reviewed by voters when evaluating him against the rest of Europe.

Ødegaard and Arsenal’s Bigger Ambition

Arsenal's fluidity on the pitch has given Martin Ødegaard a greater chance to impact games in the final third. Arsenal is no doubt the biggest team in the world right now, but they lack a player who could genuinely carry or contend for the Ballon d'Or based on his performance over a season. Saka tried, but his injury escapades limited him.

But if the Norwegian can continue to perform at the same level all season and Arsenal win the Premier League or Champions League, his Ballon d'Or bid may become a lot more convincing.

What will matter are the individual performances, and the trophies that frame them will do so as well.

Fernandes and Manchester United’s Role

Also, Bruno Fernandes might be a major name to look out for following his hat-trick against Ipswich, and his Ballon d'Or aspirations will be reliant on how far Manchester United can get this season.

If Michael Carrick can get United to play better defensively, play the ball up better and make their defence against the counter-attacking a tight one, then Fernandes could have the opportunity to play at his best regularly.

A United team that can threaten the Premier League and is capable of running deep in the Champions League would provide Fernandes with the ingredients he needs to make his individual numbers into a real Ballon d'Or story.

Can the Premier League Close the Gap?

If Haaland, Isak, João Pedro, Ødegaard and Fernandes continue to play as they did in the early part of this season, the Premier League could be seeing more impactful attacking displays this season, especially when it comes to numbers and trophies.

That would certainly change the next Ballon d'Or shortlist, as the league will have the chance to narrow the gap in attack with La Liga in 2026-27.