Al-Saybari breaks into the global "Ghul" ranking.

The website "GOAL" revealed its latest estimated rankings for the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the 2026 World Cup, which is the official award given by the International Football Federation (FIFA) after the conclusion of the tournament, placing Moroccan international Ismail Sabiri on the list.

Sabiri ranked seventeenth, making him the only Moroccan player to appear in the website's ranking, and the only Arab and African in a list led by prominent names, including Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, Argentine Lionel Messi, and Englishman Jude Bellingham.

The website praised the levels Sabiri displayed with the Moroccan national team during the tournament, considering him one of the standout players for the "Lions" in their journey to the quarter-finals, before a muscle injury sidelined him from the match against France, which ended with the national team being eliminated from the competition.

The same source noted that the Moroccan midfielder had a remarkable tournament, having scored impactful goals during the group stage, and contributed to Morocco reaching the quarter-finals by scoring the decisive penalty against the Netherlands in the round of 16.

The ranking published by "GOAL" is an editorial assessment based on players' performances and their impact in World Cup matches, and it does not represent the official ranking for the award, which FIFA will announce the winner of after the conclusion of the current edition of the "World Cup."