Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or by the narrowest margin in at least five years, becoming the first English player to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
The Bayern Munich striker topped the vote ahead of Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe, with Spain World Cup winner Lamine Yamal finishing third. Kane is only the fifth Englishman to win the honour, following Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979).
Race decided by very few points
The winner is chosen by a panel of journalists from the top 100-ranked FIFA nations. Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, who oversees the voting, said the gap between Kane and Mbappe was smaller than the 41-point margin that separated Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024.
"This year, there were several serious contenders," Garcia said. "The two closest were the top two, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, and the race between them was decided by very little."
Comparisons with recent votes
Last year Ousmane Dembele won by a canter, beating Yamal by 321 votes. Lionel Messi beat Erling Haaland by 105 votes in 2023, while 356 votes separated 2022 winner Karim Benzema and runner-up Sadio Mane. Messi's 2021 triumph over Robert Lewandowski was decided by just 33 votes.
Whether Kane's victory was closer than that remains to be seen. The official vote count for this year will be publicised on Saturday, October 31.
Kane's record season and reaction
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern last season, a club record, and finished the campaign with 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches across all competitions. His career has also included spells with Watford youth, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City, Leicester City and Tottenham.
Speaking after winning the trophy, Kane said: "Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even I wouldn't have thought I'd be this far. I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career." He added that he had to show self-belief and determination, which kept him grounded and motivated to keep improving at the highest level.
