Why Lamine Yamal lost the 2026 Ballon d'Or to Harry Kane

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Lamine Yamal finished third in the 2026 Ballon d'Or, losing to winner Harry Kane, with Kylian Mbappe in second place. France Football editor Vincent Garcia attributed Yamal's loss to a split in the Spanish vote between the Barcelona star and Rodri, which fragmented support. He noted the race between Kane and Mbappe was extremely close, with a margin smaller than the 41-point gap in 2024. Yamal, who won the Kopa Trophy for a third straight time, dedicated the award to teammate Pau Cubarsi. He had 25 goals and 20 assists, plus a World Cup and La Liga title.


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