Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or 2026 victory was remarkably close to a prediction made several months earlier by a Senegalese football data platform.

The Bayern Munich striker won the award in London on Monday night, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe, who came second, and Lamine Yamal, who completed the podium.

The result broadly matched the calculations produced by Le meilleur joueur du monde, a specialist site that uses mathematical modelling to assess the leading players in world football.

In August, the Senegalese supercomputer, based in Dakar, ranked Kane narrowly above Mbappe, according to journalist Mansour Loum. The former Tottenham forward was awarded 137.3 points, compared with 126.9 for Mbappe.

Kane’s advantage came despite Mbappe being more effective for his country, particularly during the 2026 World Cup. The Englishman made up for that difference through his achievements with Bayern Munich, while Mbappe endured a trophyless season at Real Madrid.

The two forwards made broadly similar contributions in attack, meaning the distinction between them was largely determined by their collective success at club level.

Le meilleur joueur du monde describes its supercomputer as a broad data aggregator designed to offer a more balanced and objective way of identifying the best players of each season. Its rankings are based on performances recorded every week and calculated using what it calls a “unique and innovative calculation model”.

The system is intended to compare players on an equal footing, regardless of their positions. Its stated aim is to overcome what it regards as the limitations of the official Ballon d’Or voting process and come as close as possible to an accurate assessment.

The Ballon d’Or’s official criteria, set by France Football, focus on a player’s performances and direct influence in major matches, their honours and their sportsmanship.

However, the award itself is decided by journalists from the 100 highest-ranked countries in the FIFA world rankings. The publication of the votes has led to controversy every year, with the results often prompting debate over how individual voters reached their decisions.

The Senegalese prediction therefore came close to the eventual outcome, with Kane’s victory reflecting the same overall hierarchy identified by the data model before the ceremony.