Saudi Ballon d’Or voter recognised among four who identified every leading 2026 contender

French newspaper L’Equipe has identified four members of the 2026 Ballon d’Or voting panel who correctly selected the 10 players that finished highest in the final standings, although none placed them in the exact order.

The group includes Canadian Neil Davidson, a journalist with The Globe and Mail; Saudi Khalid Al Arafa, representing the Thmanyah platform; Welsh journalist Paul Abbandonato of Media Wales and Trinity Mirror; and Frenchman Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football.

Garcia’s ballot was the fourth closest to the final ranking. He placed Kylian Mbappe first, but the award ultimately went to England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane.

Kane topped the final standings after an outstanding season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country. Mbappe also enjoyed a strong campaign with Real Madrid, while Yamal continued to establish himself among the leading young talents in world football.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played a significant role in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph. Erling Haaland maintained his prolific form with Manchester City, and Michael Olise produced an impressive season with Bayern Munich.

The Ballon d’Or is decided by a panel of 100 specialist journalists. Each voter names their 10 leading players, with points awarded according to their position.

The player placed first receives 15 points, followed by 12 for second, 10 for third, eight for fourth, seven for fifth, five for sixth, four for seventh, three for eighth, two for ninth and one point for 10th.

Although the four voters successfully included all 10 players who occupied the top positions in the final outcome, their ballots differed from the eventual ranking. Garcia’s selection was the closest among them, despite his decision to put Mbappe ahead of Kane.