England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has secured the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English footballer to lift the prestigious trophy since Michael Owen achieved the feat in 2001. Media favorites Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona ended up finishing second and third in the overall voting, respectively.
Former Manchester City midfielder and 2024 winner Rodri placed fourth after a standout summer where he captured the FIFA World Cup with Spain and earned the tournament’s Golden Ball. Lionel Messi claimed fifth place, matching his previous 2018 finishing position. The eight-time winner, who had missed out on the top 30 list over the prior two years, was absent from the London gala, having received the Princess of Asturias Award in Spain earlier in the week for his charitable initiatives supporting healthcare and education for disadvantaged children. Meanwhile, this is the second time Lionel Messi has finished fifth, coming in the same position in 2018 as well.
The remaining spots in the top 10 featured PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in sixth, while last year’s recipient Ousmane Dembele dropped six positions to land in seventh. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland staged a massive climb from 26th last year to eighth place following a dominant campaign that included seven FIFA World Cup goals. Michael Olise took ninth position, with Fabian Ruiz rounding out the top ten elite.
Kane accepted the trophy on stage at the ceremony after the final rankings were formally announced, marking a historic return for English players at the summit of world football.
