Harry Kane has been named the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner, but the result has prompted scrutiny of one voter’s decision to rank the Bayern Munich captain only sixth.
Croatian journalist Dravko Reic has acknowledged that he misjudged the England striker’s season, placing him behind Ferran Torres and Kylian Mbappe in his selection.
Reic has been a member of the France Football Ballon d’Or judging panel since 1992. For the 2026 award, he ranked Rodri first, followed by Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, with Kane in sixth place.
His top 10 did not include Lamine Yamal, who finished third in the final Ballon d’Or standings.
The choices made by Reic, who works for Sportske Novosti, raised questions about his assessment of Kane’s performances. He later admitted that his ranking had been wrong, according to a report published by German newspaper Bild on Wednesday.
In a statement shared by Sportske Novosti on Instagram, Reic wrote: “From the outset, I acknowledge my mistake and take responsibility for it, as a member of the France Football Ballon d’Or 2026 judging panel, in assessing Harry Kane’s performance after placing him only sixth among the 10 players I selected.”
He also told Vecernji list that he had to accept that ranking Kane so low had been an error.
Reic explained that his focus on the World Cup had influenced his voting. He said he had given greater importance to players’ performances for their national teams than to their form at club level.
His choice of Rodri as the winner was based on the midfielder’s World Cup triumph with Spain, as well as the impact Haaland, Messi and Mbappe had for their respective countries.
Reic also pointed to Ferran Torres scoring Spain’s winning goal in the final against Argentina.
Kane scored six goals and provided one assist during the World Cup, helping England reach the semi-finals. Despite that contribution, Reic said Lamine Yamal had played a “truly marginal role” in Spain’s success in winning the tournament.
The Croatian journalist justified placing Haaland second by highlighting the Norway striker’s importance to his national team, which he described as “a first-class surprise”.
Reic’s admission comes after the unusual contrast between his ballot and the final outcome, with Kane ultimately receiving the award despite being left outside the top five on one of the votes.
