Cucurella questions Ballon d’Or verdict despite praising Kane’s remarkable season

Marc Cucurella accepts that Harry Kane was a worthy winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, but says he would have voted instead for Kylian Mbappe or Lamine Yamal.

The Real Madrid defender said Kane’s statistics made the award understandable, although he admitted being surprised by the final result. Mbappe is Cucurella’s club team-mate, while Yamal is his Spain international team-mate.

Speaking to Spanish programme El Chiringuito, Cucurella was asked whether Kane’s victory had been unfair.

“No, I cannot say it was unfair, because if you look at his numbers, they are figures he may not be able to repeat again,” he said. “In that respect, he had an exceptional season.”

However, Cucurella added: “Personally, I would have given it to Mbappe or Lamine Yamal because, ultimately, they are the kind of players I turn on the television to watch as a football fan. Do you understand what I mean?”

He continued: “It is not that Kane did not deserve the award, but I have to admit that I was slightly surprised by the result.”

Kane won the prize at a ceremony in London on 26 October, becoming the first English player to claim the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001 and only the fifth Englishman to receive the honour.

The Bayern Munich striker was rewarded after a prolific campaign in which he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for the club in all competitions. He added 12 goals for England, taking his combined total to 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country.

Kane also helped Bayern Munich secure three domestic trophies during the 2025-2026 season. The club regained the league title and also won the German Cup and the German Super Cup.

He scored 14 goals in the Champions League, although Bayern Munich’s run ended in the semi-finals.

Mbappe was Kane’s closest challenger after a strong season with Real Madrid and France. The French forward finished second with 1,027 points, 28 behind Kane’s total of 1,055.

Yamal placed third with 881 points, in a closely fought contest at the top of the voting. The Spain international also won the award for the world’s best young player.

The third-place finish followed Yamal’s runners-up position in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting, when he finished behind France’s Ousmane Dembele. Despite his age, he has now maintained his place among the top three players in successive editions.

Mbappe is still waiting for his first Ballon d’Or after coming close in 2026, when Kane secured the award by a narrow margin.