Lamine Yamal leads Kooora editors’ Ballon d’Or vote ahead of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe

Lamine Yamal has been selected as the winner of a special Ballon d’Or vote conducted by Kooora’s editors, finishing ahead of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in a closely contested poll.

Yamal collected 195 points from the 15 participating editors. Kane finished second on 162 points, while Mbappe took third with 116. Lionel Messi was fourth with 45 points, followed by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on 22 and Fabian Ruiz on 15.

The result comes with the official Ballon d’Or announcement due on Monday, as speculation continues over which player will receive recognition for an outstanding year of individual and team performances.

Kooora, described in the source article as the leading Arab sports website, asked 15 editors to choose three players in order. The scoring system matched the method used for the main award, with 15 points awarded for a first-place selection, 12 for second and 10 for third.

As a result, the final standings were based on each player’s total points rather than simply the number of votes placing them first. A player could therefore strengthen their overall position through a series of second- and third-place selections, even without receiving the most first-place votes.

Yamal was the most popular first choice, being placed top by seven editors. Kane appeared most frequently in second place, helping him build the second-highest total, while Mbappe remained among the leading contenders after receiving votes across all three positions.

Messi was included on several editors’ ballots, while Kvaratskhelia and Ruiz received fewer points in the final ranking.

The Ballon d’Or, presented by France Football, is regarded as one of football’s most prestigious individual awards. Its voting criteria extend beyond goals and trophies, taking into account a player’s individual displays, contribution to their team, collective achievements and overall profile during the period under consideration.

The 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or nominees were published by the official Ballon d’Or account on 8 September 2026. With the ceremony approaching, differing assessments among voters have continued to fuel debate, even when those taking part have watched the same competitions and considered the same results.

Kooora’s poll gives Yamal the advantage both through his leading total of first-place selections and his strong points return from the other positions. However, it is not an official result and should not be regarded as a definitive indication of who will win the award.

Only the formal announcement will settle the contest and confirm the player who receives the Ballon d’Or.