Top 10 Ballon d'Or rankings results as Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal finish behind winner Harry Kane for 2026

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony was full of surprises, but in the end it finished with the favorite lifting the trophy, as England star Harry Kane won his first award at 33 years old on home soil.

With the award gala held outside France for the first time ever, stars from all around the football world descended upon the Palladium Theatre in London to learn who would be crowned the best player in the world from the previous calendar year.

In the end, Kane won thanks to his glutton of goals, just inching out Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe in what host Kate Scott referred to as the closest race in years.

Beyond the winners, there was also a full ranking for each of the 30 nominees on both the men's and women's side released by the organization in order of their votes.

MORE: A full look back at all of the awards and highlights from the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony

Top 10 Men's Ballon d'Or rankings for 2026

Harry Kane was named the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner on Monday evening in London, leaving Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to once again wait for their turn atop the footballing world.

Those three were named the top three players in the world, ahead of other icons such as Erling Haaland and Michael Olise plus former winners in Lionel Messi, Rodri, and Ousmane Dembele.

After those first players, many other stars just missed out on a top 10 spot. Jude Bellingham was the first player outside the initial list, while Vitinha surprised many with a 14th place nomination, and Vinicius Jr. fell to 17th in the 2026 standings. There was also some stir about Arsenal center-backs Gabriel and William Saliba being named so low on the list, with both in the bottom 10 of the nominated players.

THE 2026 RANKING FOR THE MEN'S BALLON D'OR IS OUT! #ballondor https://t.co/LYfoOUJf5j

Top 10 Women's Ballon d'Or rankings for 2026

On the women's side, Alexia Putellas won her third career Ballon d'Or, becoming the second player to do so alongside her Spain teammate Aitana Bonmati. Together, the two women have won each of the last six women's Ballon d'Or trophies.

Surprisingly, Ewa Pajor of Poland finished second, above Khadija "Bunny" Shaw who many thought would be the only competition for Putellas to win the award.

At 10th was the highest-ranked player not playing in Europe, as Temwa Chawinga of NWSL side Kansas City Current rounded out the initial group.

There were some surprises below the top 10 list, just like on the men's side.

For example, the highest-ranked American was Rose Lavelle at 27th, as the USWNT — ranked No. 2 in the world — continues to be snubbed by the Euro-centric Ballon d'Or committee.