For 21 years, the rule held without exception: win the Ballon d’Or, and a place in the FIFPRO Men’s World XI followed. Harry Kane has just broken it.
The Bayern Munich striker and England captain became the first reigning Ballon d’Or holder to be left out of the team since the award was introduced in 2005, after finishing fifth among attackers in the 2026 voting.
The team was announced on Monday following votes from 19,806 professional male footballers worldwide. Kane received 27.6 per cent — enough to end a record that had survived every previous cycle.
The Numbers That Make It Strange
What makes the omission so jarring is the season it followed.
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern, driving the German side to a domestic league and cup double. Including international duty, his tally reached 73 goals before he collected the Ballon d’Or at the 70th ceremony at the London Palladium.
He also scored six goals at the World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals, and became the first Englishman to win the individual award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Who Beat Him
The attackers’ vote was led by Kylian Mbappé on 46 per cent, followed by Lamine Yamal on 37.4 per cent. Lionel Messi took third with 29.5 per cent, and Erling Haaland fourth with 28.4 per cent — leaving Kane outside the four attacking slots.
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano flagged the unusual result in a post on X on Monday, November 9.
Why This One Stings
The precedent makes the snub sharper. Messi was included in the 2020 FIFPRO World XI even though the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of that year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony — he retained his status as reigning winner from the previous edition and was still selected.
Kane had no such reprieve.
The Others Left Out
Meanwhile, he was not alone in missing the cut. Goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Emiliano Martínez were overlooked, as were defenders Virgil van Dijk, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Marc Cucurella and Dayot Upamecano.
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In midfield, Bruno Fernandes, Enzo Fernández, Pedri and Declan Rice missed out, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Michael Olise and Cristiano Ronaldo were absent from the attacking selection.
The FIFPRO World XI is decided exclusively by professional footballers, making it one of the game’s few major peer-recognition awards — and, this year, the stage for a record nobody expected to fall.