The full voting breakdown for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award revealed U.S. journalist Paul Kennedy voted for World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri to win soccer’s most prestigious individual prize.

Every year, journalists from FIFA’s member associations across the globe pick their top 10 finishers for the Ballon d’Or award. A certain number of points comes with each place—every first place vote translates to 15 points, for instance—and the player with the most total points is crowned the new Ballon d’Or winner.

The jurors have the ultimate say, and this year, they chose Harry Kane to join the exclusive club of soccer’s best. The England international beat out runner-up Kylian Mbappé by just 28 points.

Interestingly, Kennedy did not award first or second place to either player in his rankings. The U.S. juror instead voted for Rodri in first place and Lionel Messi in second.

A heavy World Cup influence shines through Kennedy’s votes. Rodri was Spain’s most important player in last summer’s showpiece tournament, reminding the world he is the best No. 6 in the game when he’s fully fit. Messi, meanwhile, dragged Argentina to a third World Cup final in 16 years with a stunning eight goals in eight appearances.

Neither player had the club accomplishments of Kane, Mbappé or third-place finisher Lamine Yamal, but the World Cup is the ultimate equalizer—at least in the eyes of some voters.

2026 Ballon dOr: U.S. Juror’s Top 10 Finishers Revealed

Kennedy’s ranking are rather standard after his surprise top two. Mbappé rounded out his Ballon d’Or podium. The Frenchman finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup, becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer along the way.

Kane comes in at fourth after winning a domestic treble with Bayern Munich and leading England to a third-place finish at last summer’s World Cup. He found the back of the net a staggering 73 times for club and country, earning the second Gerd Müller trophy of his career.

Next is Yamal, who helped Barcelona retain their La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles, before starring for Spain on the way to World Club glory. He finished the season with 45 goal contributions.

Kennedy then highlighted another World Cup star: Erling Haaland. The Norway international, who picked up another Premier League Golden Boot in 2025–26, captured the hearts of North America and led Norway to a historic quarterfinals appearance.

The same goes for Michael Olise, who broke the record for the most assists at a single World Cup tournament. The France international tallied seven assists after a sensational campaign for Bayern Munich ended two goal contributions shy of 50.

Jude Bellingham follows the same theme. After a lackluster campaign for Real Madrid, the midfielder turned up for England, scoring big goal after big goal to get the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish since 1966. The 23-year-old got on the scoresheet seven times, the most ever by an England men's player at a major tournament.

Finally, Paris Saint-Germain superstars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé were ranked eighth and 10th respectively. The two were instrumental in PSG’s successful Champions League title defense, and also helped the club pick up four other trophies in 2025–26 to complete a nearly perfect season.

“The 2026 Ballon d’Or vote was not an easy vote,” Kennedy wrote before the ceremony. “ ... This year’s vote has been the most wide-open.”

Why No USMNT Players Are in the Top 10

Most journalists typically vote for at least one player from their own country in their top 10. But Kennedy does not have a single American in his rankings ... because not a single American was nominated for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or award.

Only 30 players make the shortlist, and none were from the U.S. men’s national team. In fact, an American player has never been nominated for the Men’s Ballon d’Or award.

Perhaps if a player like Christian Pulisic had a sensational World Cup tournament, he would have made the shortlist this year, like Mexico’s Julián Quiñones. But the face of the USMNT was largely anonymous on home soil last summer; he did not even score a single goal before the Stars and Stripes crashed out in the round of 16.

It might be a long time before an American finally makes history and snags a Men’s Ballon d’Or nomination. Only major club accolades and standout performances in Europe will be enough to get an American on the shortlist in the next four years.

If none can accomplish the feat, the 2030 World Cup could be the pathway to glory.