Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or in close vote

In Canal+'s bright studio on Monday evening following the ceremony, Harry Kane received the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the pinnacle of his career, after being chosen by the voters in a close contest and edging Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi by a few votes.

Statistics and honours

Harry Kane scored 73 goals in all competitions. He also finished as Europe's top scorer with the Golden Shoe. In Germany, he won all the major trophies with Bayern Munich.

However, some observers feel that this record is not enough compared to certain rivals. They point out that the number of goals has not always been decisive in crucial matches.

Critical voices

On the Canal+ set on Monday after the ceremony, Samir Nasri made very strong comments about the result. He said that Kane's statistics made the difference, but that the player had not led his team to victory.

“Honestly… This year he could have made one of the five. Harry Kane, okay, the stats made the difference. He's a fantastic player, who has enormous qualities, but he's never the player who has a campaign of his own, who has carried his team somewhere, or who has made them win.”

Nasri highlighted Kane's output “in the big big big matches”, noting that a small lapse often appears. When asked about his enthusiasm, he curtly replied “no”.