French publication L'Équipe has published the full voting results for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The winner is Bayern Munich and England national team striker Harry Kane, who scored 1055 points. His closest pursuer, Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappé, finished just 28 points behind (1027 points). A margin of this scale is one of the smallest in the long-standing history of the prestigious football award, emphasizing the fierce competition for the trophy in the 2025/26 season.
Minimal Gap and a Tight Top 5
According to L'Équipe, third place in the ranking went to Barcelona representative Lamine Yamal, who scored 881 points. Fourth place was taken by Yamal's club and Spain national team teammate Rodri with 726 points. Lionel Messi rounded out the top five with 612 points. Thus, there is a 174-point gap between first and third places, while the distance between the leader and the runner-up is only 28 points. This exact result configuration sparked widespread resonance in the football press: never before in the modern history of voting has the gap between first and second place been so symbolic.
The Ukrainian Vote: Lynnyk vs. the General Ranking
Ukraine was represented in the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting by journalist Ihor Lynnyk. His personal ranking diverged significantly from the final standings. Lynnyk placed PSG and Spain midfielder Fabián Ruiz in first place, who only took tenth position overall. Harry Kane appeared in ninth place on the Ukrainian representative's list, while Kylian Mbappé did not make his top ten at all. Such discrepancies between journalists' individual preferences and the final vote tally are a common occurrence for the Ballon d'Or, which features dozens of correspondents from different countries; however, in this case, the contrast between Lynnyk's choice and the final outcome turned out to be particularly noticeable.
Kane's Season: 73 Goals and Two Trophies
In the 2025/26 season, Harry Kane played 65 matches for Bayern Munich and the England national team, scoring 73 goals and providing eight assists. As part of the Munich club, the striker became the German champion and won the national Cup. According to L'Équipe, this exact combination of club and individual statistics became the decisive argument in the voting. Notably, Kane outperformed six representatives of the Spanish national team (who became world champions) in the final ranking, as well as nine PSG players—the reigning Champions League winners—who were among the nominees.
Historical Significance: First Englishman in a Quarter of a Century
Harry Kane's victory is of both sporting and historical significance. He became the first English footballer to win the Ballon d'Or in the last 25 years. The previous Briton to receive this award was Michael Owen in 2002. Thus, Kane broke the long-standing hegemony of players from Spain, France, and Argentina who dominated the voting over the past two decades.
Women's Nomination and Awards for Young Stars
In the women's Ballon d'Or category, Spanish footballer Alexia Putellas claimed the award for the third time in her career. She previously won it in 2021 and 2022. The best young footballers of the year were recognized as representatives of Spain and Barcelona: Lamine Yamal in the men's category, and Vicky López in the women's. Both players competed for the Catalan club and the Spanish national team this season, emphasizing Barcelona's consistent contribution to the development of youth football.
