When Will the 2026 Ballon d'Or Voting Results Be Revealed?
Harry Kane edged out Kylian Mbappé in a remarkably tight race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Now, fans are waiting to find out exactly how the votes were cast.
Harry Kane walked away with the 2026 Ballon d'Or at Monday's ceremony in London, capping a remarkable season with Bayern Munich. But while the England captain claimed football's biggest individual prize ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, the final voting figures remain under wraps. France Football is expected to release the complete breakdown on Saturday, October 31.
Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, confirmed that the detailed results will be published in the French magazine and on L'Équipe's website. The release will reveal exactly how many points each player received and how individual journalists ranked the nominees.
The anticipation is particularly high because Kane's victory over Mbappé was decided by a remarkably narrow margin. With the final standings already known, the biggest unanswered question is just how close the French superstar came to winning his first Ballon d'Or.
How Close Was Kylian Mbappé to Beating Harry Kane?
According to Garcia, the gap between Kane and Kylian Mbappé was smaller than the 41-point margin separating Rodri and Vinícius Júnior in 2024. He also revealed that the Real Madrid forward led the voting for much of the process before Kane eventually pulled ahead.
Lamine Yamal finished third, adding another layer of intrigue to the upcoming release. The full breakdown will show which countries backed each contender and how the votes were split among the three leading candidates.
How Does Ballon d'Or Voting Actually Work?
The Ballon d'Or, organized by France Football in partnership with UEFA, is decided by 100 journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA men's rankings. Each journalist selects ten players from a shortlist of 30 nominees.
Points are awarded on a sliding scale of 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, with the highest total determining the winner. Individual performances, team achievements and fair play are among the main criteria considered by the voting panel.
Who Else Won at the 2026 Ballon d'Or Ceremony?
Kane's big night also included the Gerd Müller Trophy for his outstanding goalscoring achievements, while Alexia Putellas claimed the women's Ballon d'Or.
Elsewhere, Lamine Yamal and Vicky López took home the men's and women's Kopa Trophies, while Unai Simón and Cata Coll were named the Yashin Trophy winners. Paris Saint-Germain earned Men's Club of the Year honors, with Barcelona taking the women's award.
What to Know About the 2026 Ballon d'Or Voting
- October 31: France Football is expected to publish the full voting breakdown, including individual journalists' selections.
- Fewer than 41 points: The reported margin separating Harry Kane from runner-up Kylian Mbappé.
- 100 journalists: The men's award was decided by votes from representatives of the top 100 nations in FIFA's rankings.
