Who truly rules the planet today? Most influential 2026

Leaders don't come from 1 order. Pope Leon XIV is not a politician in the classical sense, but 1 of the last global figures whose authority is based on faith, symbolism and ability to influence conscience. Next to him Trump, who has shown for years that politics is besides communicative and emotion; Xi Jinping, the face of centralised, hard state power, and Benjamin Netanyahu operating in permanent crisis and geopolitical tension.