“It was a mistake”: journalist apologises to Harry Kane over unusual Ballon d’Or voting behaviour
Harry Kane wins the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or by the narrowest of margins, ahead of his rivals Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. More and more ballots from the journalists eligible to vote are now emerging – one even apologises to the Bayern Munich striker afterwards.
The official final result of the 2026 Ballon d'Or vote won't be published until Saturday, but purported ballots from voting jury members have been appearing online since Monday evening, including one from Croatian journalist Zdravko Reic.
Reic's unusual ballot caught the eye: winner Kane didn't even make his top five. The Croatian placed the England striker sixth, giving him just five of a possible 15 points.
A Ballon d'Or jury member since 1992, Reic instead chose Spanish World Cup winner Rodri as his best player. Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Ferran Torres and Kylian Mbappe took second to fifth places behind him.
That decision is one Reic now apparently regrets. "I have to admit now that it was a mistake. I have to admit that I was wrong to rank Kane so low," Reic said in an interview with Croatian news outlet Vecernji list.
The World Cup had somewhat dazzled him, Reic explained, prompting him to rate players who performed well there more highly than those who had produced strong performances for their clubs during the previous season.
In midfield, Rodri played a leading role in Spain's World Cup triumph, while Haaland, Messi and Mbappe all scored for their national teams. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal for La Furia Roja in the final against Argentina. Kane also impressed at the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, with six goals and an assist as England reached the semi-finals.
Where did journalists from other countries rank Harry Kane?
Some other journalists' votes are curious too. In the Czech Republic, where Stanislav Hrabe is another long-standing jury member, Kane came only tenth (one point). Rodri, Mbappe and Messi occupied the top three places there.
In Italy, the Bayern Munich striker also missed out on the top three. Mbappe, Rodri and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia took the leading places instead.
Elsewhere, Kane fared better. He topped the ballots in Uzbekistan, Kosovo and Russia, while the Bayern Munich forward made the top three in Ecuador and Vietnam.
Saturday's new issue of France Football will publish the official final result, including every vote. One hundred journalists from the 100 highest-ranked nations in the FIFA world rankings were eligible to vote. France Football chose one reporter to represent each country.
