According to a report by Daily Post on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia has disclosed that Harry Kane defeated Kylian Mbappe by an exceptionally narrow margin to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Garcia, who oversees the prestigious individual award, explained that the Bayern Munich striker’s victory was decided by a smaller points difference than the 41-point gap between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Équipe after Monday’s ceremony at the London Palladium, Garcia revealed that Mbappe had led the voting for much of the period before Kane mounted a strong challenge to claim the top position.

He explained that the competition between the two forwards remained tight until the final stages of the voting, with only a minimal points difference separating them when the results were finalised.

France Football is expected to publish the complete voting results on Saturday, providing further details about how the candidates finished in the rankings.

Kane secured his first Ballon d’Or after an outstanding season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and the England national team.

The 33-year-old also helped Bayern win the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal during the previous campaign, strengthening his position among the leading contenders for the award.

His performances for England at the 2026 World Cup further contributed to his successful campaign. Kane scored six goals as the Three Lions finished third at the tournament.

The victory made Kane the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen claimed the honour in 2001. He also became the fifth English player to receive the award, joining Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.

Mbappe finished second, recording his best-ever position in the Ballon d’Or rankings, while Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal placed third.

The Real Madrid forward enjoyed an impressive scoring campaign, finishing as the leading goalscorer in La Liga with 25 goals and the Champions League with 15. He also scored 10 goals at the World Cup.

Despite Mbappe’s individual achievements, Kane’s overall contribution for club and country proved sufficient to secure the award.