France Football reveals how close Mbappé came to winning Ballon d’Or

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane defeated Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé by an exceptionally narrow margin to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

According to Daily Post, France Football editor Vincent Garcia disclosed that the voting gap was smaller than the 41 points separating Rodri and Vinícius Júnior in 2024.

Speaking after Monday’s ceremony in London, Garcia explained that Mbappé initially led before Kane overtook him.

“Kylian led the race for a long time, but Harry Kane came back into contention, and in the end, it was decided by a very, very small number of points.”

The 33-year-old England captain claimed his first Ballon d’Or after scoring 73 goals for club and country during the 2025–26 campaign.

Kane helped Bayern Munich secure domestic honours, while Mbappé finished second and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal placed third.

France Football is expected to publish the complete voting breakdown on Saturday, revealing the exact margin separating the leading contenders in the final results.