Ballon d’Or 2026: Colombia voter deletes list with Harry Kane first and Lamine Yamal fifth

Colombian journalist Pachi Andrade has deleted a post revealing his Ballon d’Or 2026 selections, after his choices prompted widespread debate across the football media.

Andrade published his voting list on X before removing it, a decision that added further questions about the rankings and the criteria used by Colombia’s representative on the voting panel.

The list attracted attention because of the positions given to several prominent players, as well as the inclusion of unexpected names among the top 10 in the world. According to French website Foot Mercato, the selection of Mexico striker Julian Quinones was one of the main points to draw criticism.

The rankings of Luis Diaz and William Pacho also generated discussion, while Lamine Yamal’s position attracted particular attention after the Barcelona forward was placed outside the top three.

Kane leads Messi and Yamal

Andrade gave 15 points to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, placing him first in his selection. Rodri was second with 12 points, while Kylian Mbappe took third place with 10.

Lionel Messi was fourth on eight points, ahead of Yamal in fifth with seven. Erling Haaland finished sixth, while Ousmane Dembele, who won the previous edition, was ranked seventh.

Luis Diaz occupied eighth place, followed by William Pacho in ninth. Julian Quinones completed Andrade’s top 10 in 10th position.

Foot Mercato reported that the controversy intensified after Andrade removed the post containing his choices. He had not provided a publicly documented explanation for deleting it by the time of the report.