The full Ballon d’Or 2026 voting breakdown has revealed just how close the race between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé really was. Kane won his first Ballon d’Or after collecting 1,055 points, edging Mbappé, who finished second with 1,027, by just 28 points. Lamine Yamal finished third with 881 points.

Rodri finished fourth with 726 points, while Lionel Messi was fifth with 612. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise and Fabián Ruiz completed the top 10.

How Does Ballon d’Or Voting Work?

The men's Ballon d’Or is decided by one journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings.

Each journalist selects 10 players from the 30 nominees. The first-ranked player receives 15 points, followed by 12 for second, 10 for third, eight for fourth, seven for fifth, five for sixth, four for seventh, three for eighth, two for ninth and one for 10th.

The winner is determined by the total number of points accumulated across all ballots.

Kane Won by Just 28 Points

Kane was the first choice of 40 journalists, while Mbappé topped 23 ballots. Yamal was the first choice of 13 journalists.

Despite the difference in first-place votes, Kane's final advantage over Mbappé was only 28 points. It is the closest winning margin under the current voting system. Rodri beat Vinícius Júnior by 41 points in 2024, while Messi defeated Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019.

Full Top 10 Ballon d’Or 2026 Points

Jude Bellingham finished 11th with 107 points, Pau Cubarsí was 12th with 101, Achraf Hakimi 13th with 65 and Vitinha 14th with 59. Vinícius Júnior finished 17th with 26 points.

Messi Received First-Place Votes From Six Countries

Fifth-placed Lionel Messi received first-place votes from six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates and China.

Brazil's first-place vote for Messi is particularly notable. China's representative ranked Messi fifth, while Mbappé was left outside the top 10 by journalists from Greece, Scotland and Ukraine.

Rodri Was the First Choice in 10 Countries

Rodri received first-place votes from 10 countries, including Nigeria, the United States, Guatemala, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia and Iceland.

Fabián Ruiz was the first choice of journalists from Gabon, Peru, Syria and Ukraine.

No First-Place Votes for Dembélé or Haaland

Last year's winner Ousmane Dembélé did not receive a single first-place vote this year. The PSG forward did, however, receive second-place votes from seven countries.

Erling Haaland also failed to receive a first-place vote. Journalists from Croatia, Northern Ireland and Norway ranked him second.

Michael Olise received just one first-place vote, from Curaçao.

Alexia Putellas Wins Her Third Women’s Ballon d’Or

The women's Ballon d’Or was won by Alexia Putellas, who claimed her third Golden Ball after finishing 86 points ahead of former Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor.

Putellas collected 618 points, while Pajor finished on 532. Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw was third with 344 points. Putellas was ranked first by 28 of the 50 women’s Ballon d’Or jurors.

Women’s Ballon d’Or Top 10

1. Alexia Putellas — 618

2. Ewa Pajor — 532

3. Khadija Shaw — 344

4. Melchie Dumornay — 342

5. Patri Guijarro — 221

6. Caroline Graham Hansen — 220

7. Pernille Harder — 220

8. Claudia Pina — 155

9. Alessia Russo — 155

10. Temwa Chawinga — 113

The 2026 voting breakdown ultimately underlined how competitive the men's award was. Kane made history as the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the Ballon d’Or, but the 28-point margin showed just how close Mbappé came to taking the trophy.