South Africa Voted Harry Kane First in 2026 Ballon d’Or Awards

South Africa’s voting preference for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has emerged after France Football made the complete voting records available to the public, revealing how the country’s representative ranked the leading players in contention for the prestigious individual honour.

According to the published results, South Africa selected Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as its number-one choice, placing the England international ahead of several prominent football stars in the competition.

Kane eventually secured the 2026 Ballon d’Or following a closely fought contest with Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappé. The Bayern Munich forward finished with 1,055 points, narrowly defeating Mbappé, who accumulated 1,027 points. Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal occupied third position with 881 points.

South Africa was among the participating nations that awarded Kane the full 15 points for finishing first on their respective voting lists. This demonstrated the recognition he received from football journalists for his performances throughout the 2025–26 campaign.

The voting process involved 100 journalists representing countries positioned among the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA men’s world rankings. Each journalist was required to select ten footballers from the official shortlist, with points allocated based on their individual rankings.

Kane received 40 first-place votes from the journalists, establishing a significant advantage in that category. Mbappé finished with 23 first-place selections, while Yamal received 13 votes.

France Football’s decision to publish the individual voting records has offered football supporters an opportunity to understand how representatives from different countries evaluated the nominees. The records also revealed differences in opinion among journalists, with some national selections differing from the eventual overall rankings.

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