England captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or by a margin of just 28 points over Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, one of the smallest winning margins in the award's history. Organisers released the voting totals on Saturday, showing Kane collected 1,055 points to Mbappe's 1,027. The Bayern Munich striker becomes the first Englishman to claim the prize since Michael Owen in 2001.
The 28-point gap is the narrowest since Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019. Only twice before has the Ballon d'Or been decided by a single point: Bobby Charlton over Eusebio in 1966 and Matthias Sammer over Ronaldo in 1996. Mbappe, who finished well clear of third-placed Lamine Yamal (881 points), was praised by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for handling the disappointment with "class" and "respect".
Kane secured the award after scoring 73 goals in 65 matches last season, guiding Bayern Munich to a league and cup double and leading England to a third-place finish at the World Cup. The Ballon d'Or is decided by votes from 100 journalists using a weighted points system.
Top 10 in the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or
1. Harry Kane – 1,055 points
2. Kylian Mbappe – 1,027 points
3. Lamine Yamal – 881 points
4. Rodri – 726 points
5. Lionel Messi – 612 points
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 541 points
7. Ousmane Dembele – 418 points
8. Erling Haaland – 378 points
9. Michael Olise – 296 points
10. Fabian Ruiz – 201 points
