Barcelona's 5-0 Win Reshuffles 2026 Ballon d'Or Rankings

Barcelona commenced their La Liga title defense with a decisive 5-0 victory over Elche at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on matchday one. This win marked Barcelona's 13th consecutive victory against Elche in all competitions and extended Elche's losing streak against Barcelona in La Liga to 11 matches.

Raphinha and Fermín López each scored two goals, while summer signing Karim Adeyemi also found the net. Lamine Yamal, a Ballon d'Or contender, was instrumental in the match.

The victory underscored Barcelona's ambition for a third consecutive league title. In contrast, Paris Saint-Germain faced a challenging start to their Ligue 1 campaign, drawing 2-2 with Rennes after trailing 2-0.

Ferran Torres, who joined PSG from Barcelona for £42.7 million, scored both equalizing goals. The weekend's results led to a reshuffle in the Ballon d'Or rankings, with a Real Madrid forward now leading, followed by Yamal and Harry Kane.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26, 2026, in London, marking a historic change from Paris.