Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or by 28 points over Kylian Mbappe

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 31 Oct, 03:51 · Archive

Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or by 28 points from Kylian Mbappe, one of the smallest winning margins in recent years. The Bayern Munich striker received 1055 points from 100 voting journalists, while the Real Madrid forward received 1027. It was the closest contest since Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019.

Kane became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. The Daily Mail reports that Kane had scored 73 goals during the 2025-26 season and captained England to third place at the World Cup, while also helping Bayern Munich win the domestic Treble.

Mbappe's second-place finish is his best result in Ballon d'Or voting to date, according to the outlets. He had previously finished third in 2023. The Mirror notes that the journalists representing Spain and Germany both voted for Mbappe rather than their domestic league players.

Lamine Yamal finished a distant third with 881 points, despite pre-ceremony talk of a genuine three-way battle for the award. The Mirror reports that Mbappe's trophyless season may have counted against him, despite his strong individual performance leading charts in La Liga and the Champions League.

Forty voters ranked Kane as their top choice, earning him 15 points each, while Mbappe received 23 first-place votes. The Evening Standard reports that three voting journalists did not even name Mbappe in their top ten finishers.

How it is being reported

• Ballon d'Or scores published as Harry Kane's slender winning margin revealedHarry Kane claimed the Ballon d'Or on Monday night but the Bayern Munich star's margin of victory was a minor one as he edged out Real Madrid's Kylian MbappeMirror Sport · 30 Oct, 22:13
• 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 triumphA full breakdown of the results has now been revealed, with Kane topping the vote by receiving 1,055 points from an international jury of 100 journalists.Daily Mail Sport · 30 Oct, 21:33
• Ballon d'Or points totals revealed as Harry Kane pips Kylian Mbappe by fine marginBayern Munich striker crossed the line with 1055 pointsEvening Standard · 30 Oct, 20:22

In this story: Harry Kane · Kylian Mbappe · Lamine Yamal · Bayern Munich · Real Madrid · France Football · London Palladium

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