Mbappé Praises Kane After Ballon d'Or Runner-Up Finish

Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid forward, congratulated Harry Kane after finishing second in the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting, where Kane, playing for Bayern Munich, claimed the top spot. This marked Mbappé's highest-ever finish in the award, with Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal coming in third.

In an interview with Athlon Sports, Mbappé praised Kane, stating, “He deserves it; he’s a great player. People came to see great players, and he’s one of them.” Mbappé attended the ceremony following his performance in Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clásico, where he scored both goals.

He had an impressive individual season, finishing as La Liga's leading scorer with 25 goals and topping the Champions League scoring chart with 15 goals. Additionally, he scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, making him the all-time leading scorer in the competition with 22 goals.

Despite his individual successes, Real Madrid ended the season without a major trophy, and France also did not win the World Cup.