Nearly half of more than two million votes landed on one name. Mbappé’s 48.2% in the 2026 Onze d’Or poll was more than four times the share collected by runner-up João Neves, and it placed him on a list of winners that runs through Maradona, Platini, Zidane and Messi.
French magazine Onze Mondial announced the result on Monday, six days before the Ballon d’Or at the London Palladium on 26 October.
Behind Mbappé, the vote split finely. Neves took 11.9% and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 10.8%, followed by Lamine Yamal (9.7%), last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé (7.5%), Harry Kane (4.4%) and Michael Olise (2.9%).
A list that runs back to 1976
The Onze d’Or has been handed out by Onze Mondial since 1976, and the names on the trophy read as a tour of European football’s attacking elite. Platini won three in a row from 1983 to 1985. Maradona followed in 1986 and 1987. Zidane took three (1998, 2000, 2001). Thierry Henry claimed two (2003, 2006). Messi has won four, most recently in 2018. Dembélé won the most recent edition, in 2025.
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The 2025-26 case for Mbappé
The award formalises a season Mbappé spent at or near the top of every scoring chart in Europe. He finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in 2025-26, and in the summer he collected the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup with 10 goals, finishing the tournament as its all-time leading scorer with 22 across three editions.
Mbappé spoke after the vote was announced, in comments carried by Madrid Universal.
“It’s a pleasure to be recognised. It’s a reward for the work put in all year long, and it gives me a lot of motivation to continue and do even better,” he said.
Asked about the fan-vote format, he returned to the supporters.
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“Fans play an important role in football today. And I believe that, in part, we play to entertain the fans. So, knowing that you’ve managed to provide more entertainment than anyone else is always satisfying.”
Yamal and Kane next, in London
The Ballon d’Or on 26 October will be the first held outside Paris in the award’s 70-year history, with the London Palladium chosen to mark the anniversary. Yamal, Kane and Dembélé are among the men’s shortlist nominees alongside Mbappé, in a ballot cast by a jury of journalists rather than by fans. The ceremony starts at 8pm UK time.
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