England captain Harry Kane edged France forward Kylian Mbappé to claim the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with reports indicating a tighter contest than the 41-point difference between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024.

The award organisers revealed this on the Ballon d’Or website in a report following Monday’s ceremony in London, where Kane finished ahead of Mbappé and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal.

“While the exact details of the tally haven’t yet been revealed, Vincent Garcia, the editor-in-chief of France Football, has already confirmed that the margin separating Kane from Mbappé is even smaller than the 41 points that separated Rodri from Vinicius Jr. in the 2024 edition.

“Out of a total of several thousand points, the victory was decided by a hair’s breadth,” the organisers said.

However, the report did not disclose the precise voting figures for the 2026 edition.

Kane’s triumph made him the first Englishman to win the men’s award in 25 years, since Michael Owen secured the honour in 2001.

The Bayern Munich forward scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025/26 season, according to UEFA.