Harry Kane wins Ballon d’Or after finishing behind Yamal and Mbappe in reader predictions

Before the Ballon d’Or winner was announced, Kooora readers were divided between Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane. When the result was confirmed, however, Kane emerged as the surprise winner despite not receiving the most support in the predictions.

Kooora invited readers to nominate their choice before the official announcement, responding to requests from followers and promising to review the comments once the award had been decided. An analysis of the clear predictions revealed a significant gap between the players most frequently selected by readers and the man who ultimately claimed the prize.

Yamal and Mbappe share top spot

Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe led the predictions, with each receiving 30% of the total number of clear nominations.

Yamal was backed by readers who believed his talent and performances made him the strongest candidate. Some comments offered an emphatic endorsement of the Barcelona player, describing him as deserving of the Ballon d’Or without serious competition.

Mbappe attracted the same level of support, with readers highlighting his goalscoring ability and status among the leading players in world football. Together, Yamal and Mbappe accounted for 60% of the predictions, underlining the division among supporters over who should win the award.

Kane, despite being crowned the winner, ranked third in the readers’ choices. The England captain received 23.3% of the clear nominations.

Several readers still felt Kane had done enough with both club and country to challenge for the prize. One pointed to his performances at club and international level, while another selected him despite supporting Barcelona, suggesting that footballing judgment could outweigh personal loyalties.

The result created the clearest contrast in the voting: the player who officially won the Ballon d’Or was not the leading choice among readers, with both Yamal and Mbappe finishing ahead of Kane in the predictions.

Messi and Hakimi also feature

Lionel Messi retained a presence in the readers’ selections, taking 13.3% of the clear nominations. Some comments appeared to reflect an emotional preference for the Argentina great rather than a precise prediction of the final result.

One reader argued that Messi deserved the award as long as he continued playing football, and even after retirement. Another expressed confidence in his exceptional standing while offering a predicted order that placed Yamal first, Kane second and Mbappe third.

Achraf Hakimi was also included among the nominations, receiving 3.3% of the clear votes.

Overall, 23.3% of the readers whose comments could be clearly classified correctly predicted Kane’s victory, while 76.7% chose other players.

Kooora stressed that the figures were based only on clear comments that could be categorised as predictions. They do not represent a comprehensive poll of all the site’s readers or a general measure of opinion among Arab football supporters.

The exercise showed how public expectations can differ from the final outcome. Yamal and Mbappe topped the readers’ predictions, but Kane had the final say by securing the Ballon d’Or.