Harry Kane beat second-placed Kylian Mbappe to the men's Ballon d'Or by just 28 points - one of the smallest winning margins in the award's history. Organisers released voting numbers on Saturday, showing that England captain Kane was awarded 1,055 points, compared with 1,027 for Real Madrid's France forward Mbappe. Bayern Munich striker Kane became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, while France talisman Mbappe also claimed his best finish, ending up well clear of Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who was third with 881 points.
It was the smallest winning margin since Argentina great Lionel Messi beat Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk by seven points in 2019, while the men's Ballon d'Or has twice been decided by a single point. That happened when England World Cup winner Bobby Charlton, who was later knighted, beat Portugal star Eusebio by the smallest possible margin in 1966, and Germany defender Matthias Sammer repeated the tight one-point victory when he edged out Brazil striker Ronaldo in 1996. Mbappe may take heart from Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or experience as the legendary frontman, who presented Kane with his award in London on Monday, went on to win in 1997 and again in 2002.
Kane clinched the prize after scoring 73 goals in 65 matches last season, helping Bayern Munich to a league and cup double and leading England to a third-place finish at the World Cup. The award is decided by votes from 100 journalists, using a weighted points system. Ranking England's Ballon d'Or winners - how does Kane compare?
How Kane defied doubters to become world's best Ballon d'Or in London - the most chaotic ever? Get football news sent straight to your phone
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