Finally, Harry Kane was able to lift the Ballon d’Or award. A big moment, confirming that the English striker’s decision to leave the Premier League and choose Bayern Munich was a stroke of genius. Still, when 11 players are voted into FIFPRO’s team for 2026, Kane is not included. In fact, this has never happened before.
It is the professional footballers themselves who decide who will be on the team. A total of 19,806 professional footballers from 73 countries cast their votes for the FIFPRO award, the only one of its kind where the winners are determined solely by the players’ own votes.
READ: Arsenal now know what it takes to sign super winger Antonio Nusa
Each player was asked to nominate the top three players in each of four positions: Goalkeeper, Defence, Midfield and Attack. Voting is based on performances from 4 August 2025 to 19 July 2026, and players must have played in at least 30 official matches during this period.
With the result that Kane is left out. According to TNT Sports , this is the first time in FIFPRO’s history that the winner of the Ballon d’Or has not also been chosen as the team of the year.
No Kane at the very top, but a Norwegian national team striker. Here are the 11 players who were voted for the team of the year:
David Raya
Pau Cubarsí
Achraf Hakimi
Nuno Mendes
Jude Bellingham
Rodri
Vitinha
Erling Haaland
Kylian Mbappé
Lionel Messi
Lamine Yamal
Read on English Clubs: Premier League club in crisis calls in Thomas Frank
