Kane edges Mbappé for Ballon d’Or as ceremony seating draws criticism
Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or in London, beating Kylian Mbappé by fewer than 41 points. The ceremony also prompted criticism of Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, after footage appeared to show them remaining seated while Kane greeted them and Mbappé not standing to congratulate him.
Dembélé, last year’s winner, placed seventh, while Jude Bellingham congratulated Kane publicly. Organisers said the full voting breakdown would be released on 31 October; the event was also disrupted by delays, and nominee profiles were mistakenly published online before the ceremony.
In short
- Kane won the Ballon d’Or by fewer than 41 points.
- Footage showed Mbappé and Dembélé staying seated as Kane greeted them.
- Organisers said the full voting breakdown would follow on 31 October.
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The case for
Kane’s narrow victory and the reported voting process make the result a legitimate subject for scrutiny, especially with the full breakdown still to come. If the footage accurately reflects the moment, critics can reasonably argue that public congratulations are a basic courtesy and that nominees should show respect for the winner.
The case against
A close result does not itself cast doubt on the award: voters may reasonably differ over how to weigh individual performance, team success and the season as a whole. A brief seating moment, without fuller context about what the players saw or were doing, is also too limited to establish disrespect; public reactions need not be the only measure of sportsmanship.
Explained simply
The Ballon d’Or is an annual award for the footballer judged to have had the best season. Journalists vote on a shortlist, with points awarded according to how they rank the players; the winner is the player with the most points.
Harry Kane is an England striker who plays for Bayern Munich, while Kylian Mbappé is a France forward at Real Madrid. Ousmane Dembélé, a France forward who won the award last year, and Jude Bellingham, an England midfielder at Real Madrid, were also among the leading names at the ceremony.
The award is one of football’s most prominent individual honours, and its result can prompt debate about how players’ seasons are assessed. The voting details help show how closely the candidates were ranked and what voters valued.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or disrespect row: French superstars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele fail to stand to shake humble winner’s hand – as it’s revealed just how close vote was”.