Egypt's representative places Harry Kane fourth, and shocks Barcelona fans with Lamine Yamal's ranking

Mbappé first

The first leak from behind the scenes of the 2026 Ballon d'Or has arrived, and it's a bombshell. Amr Naguib Fahmy, Egypt's representative on the international judging panel, tore up every expectation with a set of choices that crowned a new king of world football.

Kylian Mbappé topped the Egyptian vote. Amr Naguib handed the French forward top spot in recognition of his exceptional season at Real Madrid, according to the "365scores" website.

Then came the real shock. Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia took second place, leapfrogging Barcelona's rising talent Lamine Yamal in third, with English goalscorer Harry Kane fourth.

Further down, the Egyptian vote kept the controversy bubbling. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha landed fifth, ahead of England's Declan Rice in sixth, Jude Bellingham seventh and Spain's Rodri eighth.

The surprises didn't stop there. Young defender Pau Cubarsí popped up in ninth, a bold nod to the Egyptian journalist's faith in the Barcelona defender's talent, before Spain's Fabián Ruiz rounded off the list in tenth.

This early vote has set footballing circles arguing over the criteria for this year's Ballon d'Or. It also confirms the fight for the game's most prestigious award will be wide open between Mbappé, Kvaratskhelia and Yamal, well away from the traditional calculations.