Kane Beats Mbappé by 28 Points: Was It 2024 All Over Again? The Striker Report

On Monday night in London, Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or. On Friday, France Football published the votes: Kane 1,055 points, Kylian Mbappé 1,027. Twenty-eight points, out of 100 voters.

Two years ago it was Rodri over Vinícius Júnior by 41. Real Madrid didn't even go to that ceremony. This time Mbappé went, led the delegation, and said Kane deserved it. I'm not sure I'm as gracious as he is.

I'm Etienne Noumen, and this is the written version of this week's Black Mambas of Football and Soccer. The Ballon d'Or first, then this week's top strikers in three tiers, each with what he did, how his club is doing, and a legend at the same age.

The tiers are strikers of the week: picked on this week's form, and open to new names as the week goes on. Mbappé, Haaland, Kane, Yamal and Olise will be in Tier 1 almost every week. Everyone else earns it week by week.

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The numbers

• Kane 1,055, Mbappé 1,027, Yamal 881, then Rodri, Messi, Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé, Haaland, Olise and Fabián Ruiz. Bellingham was 11th. Vinícius, second two years ago, was 17th.
• First-place votes: Kane 40, Mbappé 23, Yamal 13, Rodri 10.
• 100 journalists vote, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking. Each lists ten players, scored 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
• Kane was on 98 ballots, Mbappé on 97. The voters from Scotland, Greece and Ukraine gave Mbappé nothing at all.
• France Football's editor, Vincent Garcia, said Mbappé "led for a very long time" during the count. L'Équipe says it was the closest finish since Messi beat Van Dijk by seven points in 2019.

Kane's case: 73 goals in 65 games for club and country, 36 in the Bundesliga, a hat-trick in the German Cup final, a domestic treble, and six goals at the World Cup, where England finished third. He's the first Englishman to win since Michael Owen in 2001.

Mbappé's case: 42 goals in 44 games for Real Madrid, top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, and the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, which made him the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, with 22. What he didn't have was a major trophy.

2024 all over again?

Two years ago it was Rodri 1,170, Vinícius 1,129. Rodri had won the Euros with Spain; Vinícius had won the Champions League and La Liga. Real Madrid heard the result before the ceremony and stayed in Madrid: the club said it "does not go where it is not respected". Vinícius posted: "I will do it 10 times if I have to. They're not ready." His camp said the football world wasn't ready to accept "a player who fights against the system", meaning his fight against racism.

Look at the two years side by side. Both times a Real Madrid forward came second by a few dozen points. Both times he had the signature moment: Vinícius scored in the 2024 Champions League final, Mbappé won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot. And both times the voters went the other way.

My take

This is my opinion, and you're free to disagree.

I think it's unfair, both times. Vinícius in 2024 and Mbappé in 2026 were the players I'd most want to buy a ticket to watch, and I think most fans would say the same. When a player scores 10 goals at a World Cup and breaks the all-time record, and three of the hundred voters can't find room for him anywhere in their top ten, I have questions.

And I can't ignore how some people talked about Vinícius in 2024. When a Black player who speaks up against racism gets described as "provoking", that word carries something. I hear undertones in it that I find troubling, and I don't think I'm alone.

Now the other side, because you deserve it. Kane had 40 first-place votes to Mbappé's 23: this wasn't a split decision on the top line. The one voter who publicly admitted a mistake, from Croatia, had put Kane sixth. I couldn't find a single voter this year explaining his choice in racial terms. Mbappé himself called Kane deserving, and José Mourinho said he saw "class and respect" in how Mbappé took it. And the Ballon d'Or isn't a vote on who's most fun to watch. It's a vote on the season, and Kane's season was historic.

So no, I can't prove anyone was penalised for who he is. But I can say that two of the most electrifying players of this era lost two of the closest votes in years, and that the way we talk about players like Vinícius and Mbappé deserves more scrutiny than it gets.

The other prizes

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy and finished third overall. Unai Simón won the Yashin Trophy. Kane also took the Gerd Müller Trophy. PSG were men's club of the year, Bukayo Saka won the Sócrates Award, and Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or.

Harry Kane, Bayern Munich, 33

The Ballon d'Or on Monday. Then a quiet week on the pitch: his penalty hit the crossbar against Dortmund on Saturday, he hit the post too, and he set up Dayot Upamecano's goal in a 2-2. Bayern and Dortmund are level on 18 points, Bayern top on goal difference.

Vincent Kompany is out of hospital and recovering at home, after what the club called "meningeal irritation". Aaron Danks is still in charge.

On Tuesday at Atlético, Kane can score in an 11th straight Champions League game, which would equal Cristiano Ronaldo's record.

At the same age: Luka Modrić won the Ballon d'Or in 2018 at 33. The very first winner, Stanley Matthews in 1956, was 41.

Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid, 27

Second by 28 points, and gracious about it. "He deserves it; he's a great player," he said of Kane before the ceremony.

On Sunday at Racing Santander he won a penalty and scored it after 11 minutes, and Madrid won 3-0, with Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande adding goals before half-time. The Catalan press called the penalty "laughable"; VAR didn't step in. He also hit the woodwork in the second half.

That's 12 La Liga goals, three behind Raphinha. Madrid are third on 27 points, three behind Barcelona, and go to Athens on Wednesday.

At the same age: Cristiano Ronaldo finished second in the Ballon d'Or in 2012, at 27. He won it the next year.

Lamine Yamal, Barcelona, 19

Third in the Ballon d'Or, winner of the Kopa Trophy, and then two goals in a 6-1 win over Alavés. That's 10 La Liga goals, and Barcelona are back on top with 30 points.

On Tuesday against Aston Villa he can score his 14th Champions League goal as a teenager, which would give him the record outright, ahead of Mbappé.

At the same age: Lionel Messi first made the Ballon d'Or podium in 2007, third, at 20. Yamal is a year younger.

Raphinha, Barcelona, 29

Two more against Alavés: 15 La Liga goals in 11 games, three clear of Mbappé at the top in Spain.

At the same age: David Villa was 29 when he scored in the 2011 Champions League final for Barcelona.

Michael Olise, Bayern Munich, 24

Two goals in a 6-1 cup win over Magdeburg, then a hand in Konrad Laimer's goal against Dortmund before going off late. Six Bundesliga goals.

At the same age: Thierry Henry won the 2001-02 Golden Boot at 24, with 24 goals.

Achraf Hakimi, PSG, 27

A right-back with a hat-trick, his first for PSG, in a 5-1 win at Le Havre, one of them a free kick. PSG are top of Ligue 1 on 20 points, without Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé.

At the same stage: Roberto Carlos, a full-back, finished second in the 2002 Ballon d'Or at 29.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr, 41

The score was 2-2 against Al Kholood. Then three goals in 15 minutes: 66, 72 and 81. Al-Nassr won 5-3. That's career goal 985, fifteen short of a thousand.

At the same age: Stanley Matthews, the first Ballon d'Or winner, was 41 when he won it.

Erling Haaland, Manchester City, 26

A week to forget. City lost 1-0 at home to Brighton on Saturday, their second league defeat in a row, and Haaland didn't score; Brighton's keeper made seven saves. He still leads the Premier League with nine goals. Leipzig away on Wednesday.

At the same age: Ruud van Nistelrooy was 26 in 2002-03 and won the Golden Boot with 25 goals. Every striker has a quiet week.

Elye Wahi, Nice, 23

A hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Rennes, two of them penalties. Six Ligue 1 goals.

Samuel Mbangula, Bologna, 22

A hat-trick at San Siro as Bologna won 4-2, Milan's first league defeat of the season.

Niclas Füllkrug, Werder Bremen, 33

Two in the cup at Dortmund and one against Hoffenheim: nine Bundesliga goals, still top in Germany.

Donyell Malen, Roma, 27

Scored against Cagliari and again at Udinese. Eight Serie A goals, and Roma are third.

Ermedin Demirović, Stuttgart

Two goals in a 4-2 win at Leverkusen.

Morgan Rogers, Chelsea, 24

A penalty in the cup at Anfield, then the opener against Manchester United. Five Premier League goals.

Kai Havertz, Arsenal, 27

The only goal at Anfield, and Arsenal go top. His 46th Premier League goal, the most by a German player.

Brian White, Vancouver Whitecaps, 30

His 100th MLS goal, in a 4-1 win over San Diego. Eighteen this season, a career best, and Vancouver have scored a club-record 67. They lead the West.

Olivier Giroud, Lille, 40

The winner against Lens with four minutes left. Lille are second.

Gustavo Varela, Monza, 21

Scored in three games in a row. Nine Serie A goals, top of the chart in Italy. Marco van Basten was 21 when he won the European Golden Boot with 37 goals for Ajax in 1985-86.

Rodrigo Mora, Roma, 19

A goal against Cagliari and another at Udinese.

Senny Mayulu, PSG, 20

Off the bench to score against Lyon, then again at Le Havre.

Said El Mala, Köln, 20

Two goals in a 5-0 cup win over Union Berlin.

Archie Gray, Tottenham, 20

Opened the scoring in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Lennart Karl, Bayern Munich, 18

Two assists against Magdeburg. He was on the Kopa Trophy shortlist.

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal. Kai Havertz scored after 16 minutes: Alisson's pass out from the back was cut out, and Declan Rice crossed for Havertz at the back post. It's Arsenal's first win at Anfield in 14 years, and it puts them top of the Premier League, three points clear of Manchester City.

Liverpool had 17 shots and not one on target, the first time on record that's happened to them at home. Florian Wirtz hit the bar with a free kick, and Liverpool felt Jurriën Timber's pull on Isak should have been a penalty.

Arsenal did it without Bukayo Saka, four days after losing on penalties to Fleetwood in the League Cup. Havertz now has 46 Premier League goals, the most by a German.

Tuesday: Atlético vs Bayern (Kane going for 11 in a row), Barcelona vs Aston Villa (Yamal going for the teenage record), Manchester United vs Roma, Villarreal vs PSG. Wednesday: AEK vs Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe vs Liverpool, Leipzig vs Manchester City, Slavia Praha vs Arsenal. Saturday 7 November: MLS Decision Day.

Mbappé at the Palladium. Two years ago his club stayed home. This year he came, led the delegation, lost by 28 points, and said the winner deserved it.

I still think he was robbed. But showing up when you know you might lose, and taking it like that, is its own kind of strength.

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Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, and tell me: was it Kane's year, or Mbappé's?

This report is researched and produced by Etienne Noumen, Professional Engineer and passionate football dad from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The views on the Ballon d'Or vote are his own. Sources for every number in this post: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Goal.com, L'Équipe and France Football via those outlets, Sky Sports, NBC Sports, Bundesliga.com, Football Italia, UEFA, MLSsoccer.com, Reuters and others, all current to 1 November 2026. The full source list is on the showupandplay.com version of this post.