CricBengal.com | Football Desk
The full voting results for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have revealed just how close the race was between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. The Bayern Munich striker won the prestigious award by only 28 points, finishing ahead of Real Madrid forward Mbappe.
According to the results published by France Football, Kane collected 1,055 points, while Mbappe finished second with 1,027. The award was decided by votes from 100 international journalists.
Kane Received 40 First-Place Votes
Kane was ranked first by 40 voters, compared with 23 first-place votes for Mbappe. The narrow 28-point difference makes the result one of the closest in the award’s history under the current voting system.
The closest result came in 2019, when Lionel Messi defeated Virgil van Dijk by just seven points. In 2024, Rodri beat Vinicius Junior by 41 points.
Yamal Finishes Third, Messi Fifth
Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal finished third with 881 points. Rodri took fourth place with 726, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi was fifth with 612 points.
The top 10 in the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or voting were:
- Harry Kane — 1,055 points
- Kylian Mbappe — 1,027 points
- Lamine Yamal — 881 points
- Rodri — 726 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.
First English Winner Since Michael Owen
Kane’s triumph marks the return of the men’s Ballon d’Or to England for the first time since Michael Owen won it in 2001.
The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country. He scored 61 goals for Bayern across all competitions and also received the Men’s Striker of the Year award.
At 33, Kane has finally claimed the biggest individual prize in football after coming closer than ever before in previous years.
Sources: France Football, Ballon d’Or and UEFA
Publisher: CricBengal.com
