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 numbers on Saturday, showing Kane received 1,055 points compared to Mbappe's 1,027. Spain's Lamine Yamal finished third with 881 points.
Top 10 standings
The full top 10 in the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or:
Harry Kane – 1,055 pointsKylian Mbappe – 1,027 pointsLamine Yamal – 881 pointsRodri – 726 pointsLionel Messi – 612 pointsKhvicha Kvaratskhelia – 541 pointsOusmane Dembele – 418 pointsErling Haaland – 378 pointsMichael Olise – 296 pointsFabian Ruiz – 201 pointsKane becomes the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, and the fifth English winner overall after Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Owen.
The Bayern Munich striker clinched the prize after scoring 73 goals in 65 matches last season, helping his club to a league and cup double and leading England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
Historical context
The 28-point gap is the smallest winning margin since Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019. The award has twice been decided by a single point: Bobby Charlton edged Eusebio in 1966, and Matthias Sammer beat Ronaldo in 1996.
Mourinho praises Mbappe's class
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho said Mbappe handled the disappointment with maturity and class. "Kylian is very intelligent and mature. He has very high self-esteem. And at the same time, he has class," Mourinho said before Real's La Liga game against Racing Santander. "The way he handled the Ballon d'Or for Harry… all I saw and felt was class. And respect."
The award is decided by votes from 100 journalists using a weighted points system.
