Harry Kane edged out Kylian Mbappe for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or by just 28 points, the fourth-closest vote in the award's 70-year history. The Bayern Munich striker became the first English winner in 25 years, celebrated by his club as their first Ballon d'Or recipient since 1996. Kane scored 73 goals last season and added six at the World Cup, where France's Mbappe claimed the Golden Boot with 22 goals.
The full voting breakdown published by L'Equipe revealed Kane secured 40 first-place votes for 1,055 points, compared to Mbappe's 23 first-place votes and 1,027 points. Third-place Lamine Yamal was 146 points back, while Alexia Putellas won a third Women's Ballon d'Or by beating Ewa Pajor by 86 points. The prize is decided by a jury of 100 international journalists using a points system that awards 15 points for a first-place vote down to 1 point for 10th place.
Full results place Rodri fourth with 726 points and Lionel Messi fifth with 612 points.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing