'There's levels' - Cole Palmer told he's not alongside Lamine Yamal & Harry Kane as one of top 10 players in the world despite Chelsea heroics at Club World Cup

Former Premier League striker Darren Bent has stated that Cole Palmer is not currently among the world's top 10 players and is not a serious Ballon d'Or contender, despite Palmer's impressive form for Chelsea and his role in their FIFA Club World Cup victory. Bent argues that the recent hype around Palmer is "reactionary," pointing out that while Palmer posted "decent" numbers last season (16 goals, 12 assists), they were significantly lower than his previous campaign (25 goals, 15 assists). He also noted Palmer had only scored one goal in 14 games prior to the Club World Cup final, where Palmer scored twice against PSG.

Bent listed the players he considers genuine Ballon d'Or contenders, excluding Palmer. His list includes: Rodri (highlighting his consistency for Manchester City and Spain), Harry Kane (citing his prolific goalscoring record for Bayern Munich, including 44 and 41 goals in consecutive seasons, and Champions League performances), Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe (noting his European Golden Shoe and World Cup final hat-trick), Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Jr (though Bent expressed reservations due to his "antics" after a loss to Rodri's team), Raphinha (praised for his "unbelievable" rise), Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Lamine Yamal, whom Bent declared the current "best player in the world" at age 17.

Despite not being ranked among the elite yet, Palmer has time to develop further. His performances helped Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season (2025-26), providing a platform to potentially challenge for top individual honors in the future.