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Kane beat Mbappe to Ballon d'Or by just 28 points

Q: What is this sports story about?

Voting figures show Harry Kane beat second-placed Kylian Mbappe to the men's Ballon d'Or by one of the tightest winning margins in the award's history.

Q: Who published this story?

This story was published by BBC Football on October 31, 2026 and curated on Africa Front.

Q: What related topics does this story cover?

African Football, Security & Conflict

October 31, 2026

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Kane beat Mbappe to Ballon d'Or by just 28 points

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Harry Kane beat second-placed Kylian Mbappe to the men's Ballon d'Or by just 28 points - one of the smallest winning margins in the award's history.

Organisers released voting numbers on Saturday, showing that England captain Kane was awarded 1,055 points, compared with 1,027 for Real Madrid's France forward Mbappe.

Bayern Munich striker Kane became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, while France talisman Mbappe also claimed his best finish, ending up well clear of Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who was third with 881 points.

It was the smallest winning margin since Argentina great Lionel Messi beat Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019, while the men's Ballon d'Or has twice been decided by a single point.

That happened when England World Cup winner Bobby Charlton, who was later knighted, beat Portugal star Eusebio by the smallest possible margin in 1966, and Germany defender Matthias Sammer repeated the tight one-point victory when he edged out Brazil striker Ronaldo in 1996.

Mbappe may take heart from Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or experience as the legendary frontman, who presented Kane with his award in London on Monday, went on to win in 1997 and again in 2002.

Kane clinched the prize after scoring 73 goals in 65 matches last season, helping Bayern Munich to a league and cup double and leading England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

The award is decided by votes from 100 journalists, using a weighted points system.

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Top 10 in the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or:

Harry Kane - 1,055 points

Kylian Mbappe - 1,027 points

Lamine Yamal - 881 points

Rodri - 726 points

Lionel Messi - 612 points

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 541 points

Ousmane Dembele - 418 points

Erling Haaland - 378 points

Michael Olise - 296 points

Fabian Ruiz - 201 points

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Speaking about Mbappe missing out on the award, Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho said the 27-year-old was dealing brilliantly with the disappointment.

"Kylian is very intelligent and mature. He has very high self-esteem. And at the same time, he has class," Mourinho said before Real's game against Racing Santander on Sunday in La Liga.

"The way he handled the Ballon d'Or for Harry… all I saw and felt was class. And respect.

"It's one thing to know you're the best, and another to have respect for someone who has also worked hard to win a trophy. All I see in him is class."