Luis Diaz finished 24th in Ballon d'Or voting despite stellar year at Bayern Munich

Twenty-four. That's where Luis Diaz landed among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, his second appearance on that exclusive list. And if you look back at what he did wearing the Bayern Munich jersey this season, the feeling is that the ranking sells him short. Competing against the best players on the planet is already a huge achievement, but his level deserved a spot closer to the top 15 than to the bottom of the list.

So what happened? The answer has a name: the World Cup with Colombia. That closing stretch of the season, coming in the final weeks of competition, took a toll on a campaign that had been nearly flawless in Germany up to that point.

An undisputed winger in Europe's most lethal attack

Because at Bayern, Diaz was simply outstanding. He fit naturally into the continent's most powerful attacking trio, alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise, a partnership that combined for 108 goals. The Colombian operated mostly in his usual spot on the left wing, though he also drifted inside when Kane himself dropped deep to build play for the team. That seamless fit earned him an undisputed starting role, with Vincent Kompany on the bench, and turned him into a key piece of the championship-winning squad. He was among the three players with the most minutes on the entire roster for the season and, suspensions aside, never missed time through injury.

The numbers back up that central role: 26 goals in 51 matches, plus 23 assists. A level of production nobody expected from him in his first months in Germany. And these weren't just any goals. He opened his scoring account in the Supercup final, the day he lifted his first trophy with Bayern, and closed out the season with three titles in the cabinet. He also showed up in the biggest Champions League clashes: he scored two brilliant goals against Real Madrid, one at the Bernabeu and another at the Allianz Arena, the latter proving crucial in sending the team through to the semifinals. If there's one moment to remember, it's the goal that briefly revived hope against PSG: he controlled a long pass from Kane with a backheel, sat Marquinhos down with a slick feint, and finished across goal to keep alive the dream of reaching the final, a dream that ultimately fell short.

The World Cup that cost him positions

At his first World Cup, Diaz arrived in less than ideal shape but started well: a goal and an assist in Colombia's 3-1 win over Uzbekistan at the Azteca Stadium. But his level dropped off match by match. He was repeatedly caught offside, looked visibly anxious to score, and his farewell in the round of 16 against Switzerland was underwhelming, despite converting his penalty in the shootout that eventually eliminated the Tricolor from the tournament.

Those final three weeks weighed heavily on a ranking he had built patiently over nearly the entire year in Germany. He finished behind players like Vinicius and Lautaro Martinez, who shined brighter in the Champions League. Even so, nine months of such a high and consistent level at Bayern deserved more generous recognition than 24th place.