Van Basten Names World’s Best Player 2026

The argument of who is the best active football player has been the same list: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and a more recent addition, Kylian Mbappé. But there is an eye-opening new verdict of one of the most esteemed legends of the game. Marco van Basten is a three times Ballon dorf winner and the old champion of the UEFA champions league who has selected the Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as the top player in the world at this moment.

On the Rondo of Ziggo Sport, van Basten was not afraid to express his judgment. To the footballing world, Lamine Yamal was without a doubt the best player in the world at that time, and his statement immediately spread across the world. When it comes to a personality who is both associated with high standards, which the elite represents, such clarity is not capable of being misinterpreted.

The case verdict by Van Basten does not take away the historic contributions made by Ronaldo or Messi whose rivalry lasted close to 20 years of football supremacy. Neither does it ignore the cataclysmic emergence of Mbappé as the next face to their throne. Rather, the perspective of the Dutch legendary represents a shifting present one, where the performance, influence, and impact-defining influences of a game are more important than legacy.

Yamal has been phenomenal at a young age of 18. The 2025 season was the start of his change to prodigy to center piece, as he started to be a decisive figure both to the club and his country. Placed at the number two position in Ballon d’Or list, Yamal has accomplished a feat that is hardly compared to a teenager and was normally only achieved by those who are in their prime years.

In addition to awards, his statistical performance corroborates the argument. Yamal has been at the forefront of the elite metrics of dribbling success, creation of chances and influence to the attack, and also becoming the most commercially visible footballer in the world with record selling jerseys.

Van Basten is not just congratuling, he is turning something around. The football not only has a present in his eyes but the future no longer lies with Lamine Yamal. He is the standard.