Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory has been questioned by Jose Felix Diaz, the only Spanish member of the voting panel, who said the England striker was not his preferred choice for the award.
Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, who completed the top three.
But Diaz, editor-in-chief of Spanish newspaper AS, suggested his own top three was arranged differently during an appearance on the El Larguero programme on Cadena SER.
“My ranking is the same, but Kane, Mbappe and Lamine were in different positions,” he said. “My top three choices remain the same, but they were not in the order eventually announced.”
Diaz did not reveal whether Mbappe or Yamal had been his number one. The full results, including the detailed votes of every voter, are due to be published by France Football on Saturday.
‘He is missing something’
Diaz also made clear that he did not believe Kane was the most deserving winner, despite the striker’s extensive goalscoring record and a lengthy speech in which he appeared to be taking in the significance of his achievement.
“I think Harry Kane is a great player, but I was expecting Kylian Mbappe or Lamine Yamal to win,” Diaz said. “I do not know how to explain it, but in my opinion he is missing something.”
His comments have raised questions over the qualities voters value in the award, and whether goals alone are enough to determine the winner or whether influence and charisma also play a part.
Diaz said he had correctly predicted nine of the eventual top 10 players, and described this year’s contest as one of the most open in the history of the Ballon d’Or.
“The advantage of this edition is that five or six players could have won,” he said. “It was one of the most open editions in history.”
Spanish players split the vote
Diaz also explained why Spanish players failed to finish higher in the rankings. Lamine Yamal was third and Rodri fifth among the Spanish players, a result he attributed to the votes being divided between several members of the national team.
“I think the votes for the Spanish players were very close, and no player from the national team stood out above the others,” he said. “I believe that was a major obstacle for them. Winning the World Cup deserved to be highlighted more.”
He nevertheless praised the strength of Spanish football, saying it was clearly ahead of any other country.
Diaz identified Unai Simon and Luis de la Fuente as the two leading figures in Spanish men’s football this year. He also praised Barcelona’s women’s team, saying: “What Barcelona are doing in women’s football is admirable.”
His comment came in reference to Alexia Putellas regaining the women’s Ballon d’Or.
