Kylian Mbappe has significantly boosted his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or despite strong competition from the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.

The France captain has been electric at this World Cup, scoring eight goals in six games.

He was once again pivotal as France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, opening the scoring after missing a first-half penalty.

Mbappe’s performances have seen him climb to the top of the Ballon d’Or power rankings, overtaking his French teammate Dembélé, England and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.

Mbappe has never won the award but came close in 2022-23, finishing third behind Erling Haaland and eventual winner Messi.

According to Polymarket, he now leads with a 28% chance of winning, ahead of Harry Kane (25.4%), Ousmane Dembélé (15%), and Lionel Messi (13%).

Kylian Mbappé has surpassed Harry Kane for 1st place in the Ballon d’Or rankings on Polymarket:

28% – Mbappé
25% – Kane
15% – Dembélé
13% – Messi

Senegalese player and former Liverpool reliable, Sadio Mane has announced his retirement from the Senegalese national team.

In a press release, the Al-Nasir and Senegalese striker writes in particular:

Know that I have sacrificed everything for this flag. I have given the best of myself and have always fought fiercely for our homeland.

Your constant support has been the driving force behind my success.

Tomorrow, it is with pleasure that I will put my experience at the service of the Nation, whether within a technical staff, on a coaching bench, or in governing bodies.

A 3 week old marriage was shattered at early hours of Friday as the bride’s life was cut short by a stray bullet during gun battle by Soldiers and Suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The Boko Haram fighters attacked two military locations in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, killing three residents on the spot including the bride.

According to witnesses, the insurgents stormed a military base at Kofa around 2:14am, and hit another one at Muna around 2:30am.

Report quoted sources from both locations as saying that the attackers drove to the areas on motorcycles shooting sporadically.

They also revealed that all the attacks were successfully repelled by the military but three residents were killed by stray bullets during the crossfire.

Deborah Usman, a resident of Kofa, said, as the insurgents engaged troops at the military post, many residents fled the area for safety.

“It’s at that time that our neighbor, a three-week-old bride, was hit by a stray bullet on the head and she died instantly.

Sources from the Muna area said the attackers engaged the troops that were stationed at the Customs office, trying to infiltrate the capital city.

A resident of Muna, Mannanaye Muhammad, said two people were killed during the attack.

“They were trying to escape the area when the insurgent shot sporadically at their location. Most of us that decided to stay indoors were not affected, but a woman was also injured by a flying bullet in her residence,” he said

He said that funeral prayer was observed and bodies of the deceased are billed for burial by 12 noon.

The attack comes barely 24 hours after the insurgents attacked a military location in Logomani community in Ngala local government area of the state, where a soldier was killed.

Confirming the attack, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said multiple terrorist infiltration attempts have been repelled by the troops.

The statement read: “Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have successfully thwarted multiple coordinated infiltration attempts by ISWAP terrorists across Borno State in the early hours of 10 July 2026.

“Between 0020 hours (12:20 a.m.) and 0230 hours (2:30 a.m.), the terrorists attempted to infiltrate into Muna Garage, Shuwari Village, and the Ajilari Cross axis to gain access into the Metropolis. With early warning mechanisms emplaced, troops swiftly detected the advancing terrorists and engaged them from multiple axes with accurate firepower, decisively frustrating all attempts to infiltrate.

“In separate incidents, troops also successfully thwarted additional infiltration attempts by the terrorists at Miringa and Dutsen Kura in Buratai. During the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists at Miringa, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with no casualties recorded on troops. The situation remains stable.

“Overwhelmed by the troops’ speedy tactical manoeuvre, the terrorists were forced to abandon their mission and retreat in confusion across all axes. Troops are currently conducting clearance and exploitation operations to pursue the fleeing terrorists, consolidate operational gains, dominate the area, and prevent any further threat to nearby communities.”