Yamal earns top vote from 13 nations as Ballon d’Or results are revealed

Lamine Yamal was the first choice of journalists from 13 countries in the 2026 Ballon d’Or vote, including three Arab nations, despite finishing third overall behind winner Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

The Barcelona forward received maximum votes from Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan, as well as Albania, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Honduras, North Macedonia, Mexico, Wales, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey.

France Football published the full voting details on Friday, five days after Bayern Munich striker Kane was crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner at a ceremony in London.

Kane topped the final standings with 1,055 points, finishing just 28 points ahead of Real Madrid forward Mbappe, who collected 1,027.

Yamal was third on 881 points, followed by fellow Spain international Rodri on 726. Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami captain, completed the top five with 612 points.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was sixth with 541 points, while his club team-mate Ousmane Dembele finished seventh on 418.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland took eighth place with 378 points. Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise was ninth on 296, while Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz finished 10th with 201.

Kane’s winning campaign included 73 goals for club and country. Mbappe also impressed during his season with Real Madrid, while Yamal continued to establish himself among the leading young players in world football.

Kvaratskhelia was a key figure as Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Champions League, while Haaland maintained his prolific form for Manchester City. Olise was also credited with an outstanding season at Bayern Munich.

The Ballon d’Or is decided by 100 specialist journalists, with each selecting their top 10 players. The player ranked first receives 15 points, followed by 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and one point for the remaining positions.

The final results therefore placed Kane at the summit, with Mbappe narrowly behind him, while Yamal’s strong support across the international panel was reflected by his first-place ranking in 13 separate national votes.