Ballon d’Or: Spain’s only voter expected Mbappe or Yamal to beat Harry Kane

Harry Kane was not the preferred choice of Jose Felix Diaz, the only Spanish journalist to vote in the Ballon d’Or, despite the England striker winning the 2026 award.

Kane finished ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, who came second and third respectively. Diaz, editor-in-chief of AS, discussed his ballot during an appearance on Cadena SER’s El Larguero programme.

“I expected Mbappe or Lamine Yamal because Harry Kane is missing something,” Diaz said. “Of the 10 players I voted for, nine of them were in the top 10.”

Defensa Central reported that Diaz did not select Kane as his winner, although he did not disclose whether Mbappe or Yamal was his preferred candidate.

Diaz may have rewarded Mbappe for an outstanding goalscoring season, while the importance he placed on the World Cup appears to have influenced his decision to choose Yamal.

Spain’s World Cup success

The result has renewed debate over the value of international achievements in the Ballon d’Or vote. Spain’s World Cup triumph did not produce a Spanish winner in either 2010 or 2026.

Following Spain’s victory at the 2010 World Cup, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or, while Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez finished second and third respectively.

Diaz said four of the players on his shortlist came from Spain, but the votes for the country’s World Cup winners were divided.

“The votes for the world champions were spread around, and no Spanish player stood out individually at the World Cup, which became an obstacle,” he said.

“The success at the World Cup should have had a greater impact, but Luis de la Fuente and Unai Simon were the faces of Spanish football. Both were among the winners at the 2026 World Cup and received recognition.”

The comments also drew comparisons with previous disputed results, including the 2021 award. The report noted that Robert Lewandowski, then a Bayern Munich striker, was considered by many to have deserved the prize that year, but Messi won it in a decision that generated controversy and cast a shadow over one of the Argentina forward’s Ballon d’Or triumphs.

Kane was described as facing a similar situation against a Barcelona player in Yamal, who benefited from strong media coverage. However, the report argued that Kane had been the better player in his position, dominated in Germany and made a significant impact in the Champions League and at the World Cup.

The 2026 ceremony was judged to be one of the most open and uncertain in recent years, with several credible contenders. Mbappe, Kane and Yamal all had arguments in favour of winning, meaning any outcome was likely to generate debate.

For Diaz, Kane was the least deserving of the three finalists, although he did not question the striker’s place among the candidates. Individual voting details will not be revealed until next Saturday.