Ballon d’Or 2026: Mbappé’s reaction after Kane’s triumph

Kylian Mbappé finished second in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, won by Harry Kane at the ceremony held on Monday at the London Palladium in London. Despite an exceptional individual season with Real Madrid, the French forward did not receive the top prize. Images broadcast during the evening notably showed a cold reaction when the Bayern Munich striker was announced as the winner.

Mbappé remains seated when Kane comes over to greet him

According to footage shown during the ceremony, Harry Kane approached Mbappé to greet him. The Frenchman remained seated, forcing the Englishman to lean over to speak with him. Moments later, the cameras captured the Madrid striker’s stern expression. The sequence quickly circulated on social media.

While the images fueled discussion about his reaction, they do not, however, make it possible to establish with certainty what the Frenchman was feeling at that moment. Nevertheless, this second-place finish represents Mbappé’s best ranking in the Ballon d’Or. He finished third in 2023, before placing sixth in 2024 and seventh in 2025.

Impressive statistics, but Kane takes the award

The Frenchman nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable season. Kylian Mbappé scored 58 goals and provided 13 assists in 60 matches for Real Madrid. He also finished as the top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, before becoming the leading scorer in the history of the World Cup during the tournament held in the United States.

Harry Kane nevertheless posted a more convincing collective record with Bayern Munich. The 33-year-old English striker scored 73 goals in 65 matches in all competitions during the 2025-2026 season. He notably scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga and 14 in the Champions League. These performances accompanied a trophy-laden season for Bayern Munich, winners of the German championship, the German Cup and the Franz-Beckenbauer Super Cup.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

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