English star striker Harry Kane has clinched the 2026 Ballon d'Or after securing 1055 points, narrowly defeating runner-up Kylian Mbappe (1027 points) by a razor-thin 28-point margin—marking the fourth-lowest winning gap in the prestigious award's 70-year history, as published by French media outlet L'Équipe.
Argentine maestro Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, finished fifth in the 2026 rankings with 612 points. Despite missing out on the top spot following Argentina's defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, Messi was selected as the number-one choice by journalists from six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Belarus, earning him 90 points from first-place votes alone.
Read nextMoushumi & Omar Sani's Children Chart Their Own Paths Abroad Away from ActingExplaining his decision to vote for Messi despite being a Brazilian journalist, veteran broadcaster Cleber Machado (formerly of Amazon and Globo) told Argentine outlet Olé, "We have to put traditional rivalries aside... At 39 years old, Messi once again demonstrated his genius and match-winning ability. When Argentina struggled, he would drift to the right and turn games around with just two attacking moves. He is the reason Argentina reached the final." The Ballon d'Or winner is determined by a 100-member international jury panel following a structured point-allocation system (15 points for 1st choice, 12 for 2nd, and 10 for 3rd).
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Sports Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
