Kane claims 2026 Ballon d'Or with 28-point lead over Mbappé
L'Equipe released the official point breakdown for the award's 70th anniversary, showing a narrow margin between the Bayern Munich and Real Madrid stars.
By Bianca Herrera ·
French sports newspaper L'Equipe released the official voting results for the 2026 Ballon d'Or on Friday. Harry Kane of Bayern Munich won the men's award with 1,055 points. Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid finished second with 1,027 points. The gap between the two finalists was 28 points.
The third position in the men's category went to Lamine Yamal of Spain, who received 881 points. Rodri Hernandez of the Spanish national team placed fourth with 726 points. Lionel Messi of Argentina rounded out the top five with 612 points. The remaining five spots in the top ten were taken by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, and Fabian Ruiz.
Alexia Putellas of FC Barcelona won the women's Ballon d'Or. This marks the third time she has claimed the individual honor. She accumulated 618 points, a lead of nearly 100 votes over the second-place finisher. Ewa Pajor of Poland secured the runner-up position. Putellas' Barcelona teammate Patri Guijarro placed fifth with 221 points.
The 2026 ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or. The voting process involved an international panel of journalists. The final standings reflect the performance of players during the current season. The men's race remained tight through the final days of voting, with Kane and Mbappe separated by less than three percent of the total points cast. The women's category showed a wider gap between the leader and the rest of the field, with Putellas dominating the vote count.
