Kane makes English football history after thrilling Ballon d'Or victory
England captain Harry Kane defeated France forward Kylian Mbappe by just 28 points to win the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or.
France football legend Jean-Pierre Papin has criticized Kylian Mbappé's approach to his 2026 Ballon d'Or campaign, suggesting that the Real Madrid forward's public efforts to promote his individual achievements may have worked against him. Mbappé finished second to England captain Harry Kane in the award voting, with Papin questioning the Frenchman's communication strategy on RMC's Rothen sénflamme programme.
Papin likened Mbappé to Cristiano Ronaldo, acknowledging the young star's impressive goal-scoring ability but asserting that his media campaign negatively impacted his chances. Mbappé had previously claimed to be the strongest candidate last season, but Real Madrid failed to win a major trophy, making his individual statistics his strongest argument.
Despite the criticism, Papin believes Mbappé has the talent to win the prestigious individual award in the future.
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