Kane’s measured message may have given him the edge over Mbappe and Yamal in Ballon d’Or voting

Harry Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or triumph was built on outstanding numbers and a successful season with Bayern Munich, but the public campaigning of rivals Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal may also have influenced how voters viewed the race.

Both players spoke forcefully about their claims while journalists were deciding who should be named the world’s best player.

Mbappe, the Real Madrid forward, told French newspaper L’Equipe in September that he believed he had a genuine chance of winning and that the award was one of his immediate targets.

“I don’t think any player had a better season than me,” he said.

Mbappe argued that the Ballon d’Or was an individual prize, pointing to the eras dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He said it was not awarded to ordinary players but to those who produced exceptional performances, and added that he would vote for himself if asked to choose the winner.

His case was supported by 42 goals in 44 competitive matches for Real Madrid during the assessment period, as well as his performance at the World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals.

However, Mbappe did not win major honours with either club or country during the same season. That left Kane and other candidates with an advantage when collective success was considered.

Yamal, meanwhile, became involved in a public disagreement over what should determine the outcome. The Barcelona forward said he had enjoyed an outstanding campaign with his club and Spain and believed he had a strong case, but attracted greater attention with his comments about the importance of goals.

Speaking to Movistar Plus, Yamal said the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world rather than someone who scored 80 goals. Reaching that total, he suggested, deserved the top-scorer award, while the Ballon d’Or represented something different. He added that many people did not understand the distinction.

The remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Mbappe. In September, Yamal had also said he did not need to plead with journalists for their votes, pointing instead to his work with Barcelona and Spain and saying he would thank his team-mates if he won.

The timing mattered. Voting was conducted by 100 sports journalists representing the highest-ranked countries in the FIFA world rankings and closed on 28 September. Each voter selected and ranked 10 players.

There is no evidence that Mbappe or Yamal’s words directly changed any individual vote. However, repeated claims of entitlement may have appeared to some journalists as an attempt to influence them, particularly in a closely fought contest.

Kane adopted a different tone in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca. He said he did not like talking about himself, described the previous season as the best of his career individually and collectively, and said his 73 goals spoke for themselves. He also thanked his team-mates and everyone who had helped him reach that total.

The England striker acknowledged how difficult it was to choose between players who had produced exceptional seasons, stressing that the decision belonged to journalists and that he could not control how they assessed the candidates.

Kane scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich in 2025-2026, compared with 42 for Mbappe at Real Madrid and 24 for Yamal at Barcelona. Including his goals for England, Kane reached 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches.

He also won the European Golden Shoe and helped Bayern Munich claim the German league, German Cup and German Super Cup.

Those achievements matched the award’s stated criteria: decisive individual performance comes first, followed by team performance and honours, with conduct and sportsmanship also considered.

Kane therefore combined individual excellence with major trophies. Mbappe lacked comparable silverware, while Yamal’s scoring figures were lower despite his chance creation and honours with Barcelona and Spain.

It cannot be proved that the comments from Mbappe and Yamal helped Kane win, but they may have given him an indirect advantage.