Sports · Football · 4 hrs ago
Harry Kane beats Kylian Mbappé by 28 points to win Ballon d’Or
Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappé by 28 points.
The Bayern Munich striker received 1,055 points, while Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid, earned 1,027.
The result was one of the closest in the award’s history, and the narrowest since Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019.
Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season and captained England to third place at the World Cup.
A jury of 100 international journalists chose the winner, ranking players from a list of 30, with points awarded for each place in their top 10.
Lamine Yamal finished third, 146 points behind Mbappé, while Rodri placed fourth and Lionel Messi fifth.
The published breakdown shows how divided voters were: Kane received 40 first-place votes, compared with 23 for Mbappé.
Harry Kane beat Kylian Mbappé by 28 points to win the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or.
Kane received 1,055 points and 40 first-place votes from a jury of 100 international journalists.
Mbappé finished second with 1,027 points and 23 first-place votes.
The result was the fourth-closest vote in the award’s 70-year history, according to L’Équipe.
Reports of country-level voting highlighted national loyalties and unexpected choices, including Curaçao ranking Michael Olise first.
- Who
- Harry Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or, ahead of runner-up Kylian Mbappé.
- What
- Kane beat Mbappé by 28 points in the 2026 vote.
- When
- The award ceremony took place on Monday; the voting breakdown was published on Friday, four days later.
- Where
- The ceremony was held at the London Palladium in London.
- Why
- Kane’s win followed his performances for Bayern Munich and England; the sources do not state a single reason for the result.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London.
France Football revealed the breakdown of the votes cast by 100 journalists.
France Football’s print version of the voting results was due to be released.
- Winner
- Harry Kane, 1,055 points
- Runner-up
- Kylian Mbappé, 1,027 points
- Margin
- 28 points
- First-place votes
- Kane 40; Mbappé 23
- Jury
- 100 international journalists
- Unexpected vote
- Curaçao ranked Michael Olise first
5 sources
Kane-Vorsprung auf Mbappé und karibischer Olise-Fan: Die genauen Ergebnisse vom Ballon d'Or
Harry Kane beat Kylian Mbappe to the Ballon d'Or by one of the smallest margins EVER: Full results are revealed after England captain's triumph
Les choix farfelus du journaliste grec, Olise plébicité par Curaçao: voici les votes les plus improbables du Ballon d'or 2026
Détail des votes du Ballon d'Or 2026 : l'écart entre Harry Kane et Kylian Mbappé parmi les plus faibles de l'histoire
Kane beat Mbappé to Ballon d'Or by one of smallest margins in history
What people are saying
To my wife, Kate, my best friend. We've been through ups and downs for sure. You're my biggest supporter. I actually …
Il a été une figure de la Coupe du monde