Harry Kane wins men's Ballon d'Or by 28 points over Kylian Mbappe
Harry Kane beat Kylian Mbappe to the men's Ballon d'Or by 28 points after organisers released the voting numbers on Saturday, with the award having been presented in London on Monday. Kane finished on 1,055 points to Mbappe's 1,027.
Kane, a Bayern Munich striker, became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001. Real Madrid's France forward Mbappe recorded his best finish in the voting, while Spain forward Lamine Yamal was third on 881 points. The result was described as one of the smallest winning margins in the award's history.
It was the smallest margin since Lionel Messi beat Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019. The men's Ballon d'Or has twice been decided by a single point. That happened when Bobby Charlton beat Portugal star Eusebio in 1966, and when Germany defender Matthias Sammer edged out Brazil striker Ronaldo in 1996.
Mbappe may take heart from Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or experience, as the legendary frontman — who presented Kane with his award in London on Monday — went on to win in 1997 and again in 2002. Ronaldo's role in the presentation was noted in the organisers' release of the voting numbers on Saturday. The voting breakdown made the narrowness of Kane's victory visible.
Kane is the fifth English player to win the Ballon d'Or, following Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 & 1979) and Michael Owen (2001). He clinched the prize after scoring 73 goals in 65 matches last season. Kane's goals helped Bayern Munich to a league and cup double. He also led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
The award is decided by votes from 100 journalists, using a weighted points system. Top 10 in the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane - 1,055 points; Kylian Mbappe - 1,027 points; Lamine Yamal - 881 points; Lionel Messi - 612 points; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 541 points; Ousmane Dembele - 418 points; Erling Haaland - 378 points; Michael Olise - 296 points; Fabian Ruiz - 201 points.
