Harry Kane’s historic 2026 Ballon d’Or victory has sparked controversy after Mundo Deportivo director Santi Nolla questioned the result. Meanwhile, France Football has revealed how close the voting was between Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

Harry Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or Victory Faces Questions Over Possible Fixing

Harry Kane’s historic victory at the 2026 Ballon d’Or has sparked controversy after a senior Spanish journalist raised questions about the result.

The Bayern Munich striker won his first Ballon d’Or in London on October 26, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.

However, not everyone was happy with the decision.

Santi Nolla, director of Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, suggested that the result appeared to favour an English player at a ceremony held in London.

Mundo Deportivo director questions Kane’s victory

In an opinion article published on October 26, Nolla strongly criticised the decision to give Kane the prestigious award.

He suggested that awarding the trophy to an English player in London created the impression of a planned result.

Nolla argued that Lamine Yamal deserved to win the Ballon d’Or instead of Kane.

The journalist pointed out that Yamal had helped Spain win the 2026 World Cup, while Kane had not reached the final of either the World Cup or Champions League.

He also questioned whether Kane’s performances in the Bundesliga should have been enough to beat the Barcelona superstar.

However, Nolla acknowledged that Kane was an excellent striker who had enjoyed an impressive season.

Yamal misses out despite historic achievements

Yamal finished third in the final Ballon d’Or rankings, behind Kane and Mbappe.

The 19-year-old also made history by winning his third consecutive Kopa Trophy.

According to Nolla, Yamal’s creativity, talent and achievements deserved greater recognition in the main award.

He suggested that the Barcelona youngster was being overlooked because of his age, despite already performing at the highest level.

Meanwhile, Kane’s incredible 73 goals for club and country helped him secure the biggest individual prize in football.

France Football reveals incredibly close vote

Interestingly, new information from France Football has added another twist to the controversy.

Editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia revealed that the voting between Kane and Mbappe was extremely close.

According to Garcia, the points difference was smaller than the 41-point gap between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024.

He explained that Mbappe had led the voting for a long period before Kane moved ahead near the end.

Garcia also suggested that votes for Spanish players may have been divided between Yamal and Rodri.

Was the 2026 Ballon d’Or really fixed?

Despite the strong criticism, there is currently no verified evidence that the 2026 Ballon d’Or result was fixed or manipulated.

The men’s award is decided by votes from 100 international football journalists, with each voter ranking ten players.

Nolla’s comments represent his personal opinion rather than proof of wrongdoing.

London was also selected to host the ceremony to celebrate 70 years since English footballer Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956.

For now, Kane remains the official 2026 Ballon d’Or winner, but the debate over whether he deserved the award ahead of Mbappe and Yamal continues.