According to a report by Madrid Universal on Saturday October 31, 2026, Kylian Mbappe missed out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or by just 28 points, with the voting figures confirming how narrowly the Real Madrid forward was beaten by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane.

The Frenchman finished second after an impressive campaign, while Kane claimed the individual award.

According to France Football, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, Kane collected 1,055 points from the 100 journalists who took part in the voting. Mbappe finished with 1,027 points, leaving only a small difference between the leading contenders. It was the closest winning margin since the current Ballon d’Or voting system was introduced.

Kane’s advantage came largely from the number of first-place votes he received. The Bayern Munich striker secured 40, compared with Mbappe’s 23. However, both players featured consistently near the top of the rankings. Kane appeared in the top ten on 98 ballots, while Mbappe made 97 appearances in that group.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal finished third with 881 points. He was 146 points behind Mbappe, highlighting the gap between the top two candidates and the rest of the field.

The result represents another narrow Ballon d’Or disappointment for Real Madrid. In 2024, Vinicius Junior also missed out after losing to Rodri by 41 points. Mbappe’s defeat this year came by an even smaller margin.

The French forward had an outstanding season, scoring 42 goals in 44 appearances for Madrid. He also enjoyed a World Cup campaign, finding the net 10 times and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Nevertheless, Kane’s larger number of first-place votes proved decisive. The Bayern striker also enjoyed an exceptional season, making his victory difficult to dispute. Mbappe will take encouragement from coming so close. At 27, he still has time to pursue the award again, especially if he maintains his form and helps Madrid win trophies next season.