Kane Won Ballon d’Or By Smallest Margin of 28 Points

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, November 1, 2026

Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on October 30, narrowly beating Kylian Mbappe by just 28 points in the closest vote since the current system began. Kane's victory marks the first time an English player has claimed the award since 2001, underscoring a fiercely competitive race among the world’s top footballers.

Harry Kane secured the Ballon d’Or on October 30 by the narrowest margin since the current voting format was introduced, finishing just 28 points ahead of Kylian Mbappe. The award organizers, France Football, disclosed detailed voting results in their latest edition, highlighting the closely contested outcome.

The Bayern Munich striker, who became the first English player to claim the prestigious individual honor since Michael Owen in 2001, garnered 40 first-place votes from a panel of 100 journalists representing the top football nations according to FIFA rankings. Kane amassed a total of 1,055 points overall.

Mbappe, captain of the French national team and currently playing for Real Madrid, received 23 first-place votes and finished with 1,027 points. The margin of 28 points is the slimmest recorded since the voting system was established, narrowly surpassing the previous closest finish of 41 points when Spain’s Rodri edged Vinicius Jr in 2024.

The Ballon d’Or awards are determined through a vote by one journalist from each of the top 100 countries in men’s football and the top 50 countries in women’s football, based on FIFA rankings. Other notable contenders included Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who finished third with 881 points, trailing Kane by 174 points despite having contributed to Spain’s World Cup victory this summer.

Last season’s winner, Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, amassed 1,380 points with a significant lead of 321 points over Yamal. This year’s results highlight a highly competitive field, with Kane edging out Mbappe in a tightly contested race for football’s highest individual accolade.

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