A historic anomaly in world football! Ballon d’Or winner left out of the Team of the Year

Harry Kane, winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or at the recent ceremony, was sensationally left out of the men’s World 11 selected by the International Federation of Professional Footballers’ Associations (FIFPRO).

Details: This is an entirely unprecedented moment in world sport: for the first time since the FIFPRO World 11 was established in 2005, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner for that same year has been left out of the planet’s best XI. In the vote among his fellow professionals, the star striker for Bayern Munich and England finished only fifth among forwards, taking 27.6 percent of the votes and missing out on a place in attack to Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

The incredible contrast between the sports journalists who awarded the Englishman the game’s top individual prize and the views of active players has sparked an unprecedented wave of debate. Professional footballers from around the world clearly favoured other finishers, leaving the England captain out of the elite lineup.

It is worth noting that Harry Kane became the first Bayern Munich player in 45 years to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal in the voting in Paris.

Reminder: The world’s footballing elite! FIFPRO names the planet’s 11 best players