Harry Kane's late surge edged Mbappé in 2026 Ballon d'Or, editor reveals

sports.yahoo.com —

Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English recipient since Michael Owen in 2001, though France Football editor Vincent Garcia revealed Kylian Mbappé led the voting for an extended period before being narrowly edged out. The Bayern Munich striker claimed the Golden Ball after his finest goalscoring season, while Mbappé finished as runner-up despite topping scoring charts in La Liga, the Champions League, and the World Cup. Garcia said the result was decided by a very small number of points after Kane's late surge. Mbappé's runner-up finish marks his highest career placement, surpassing his third-place showing in 2023. Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, though he insisted teammate Pau Cubarsí deserved the honor more.


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