Victory at the Ballon d'Or – but no place for Kane in the world selection

There is no place for the world's best footballer in the "Team of the Year": Harry Kane is surprisingly missing from the World11 of the global players' union Fifpro. The umbrella organization published the selection on Monday evening, which was reportedly chosen by 19,806 professionals from 73 countries. Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal form the attack.

Kane came fifth in the vote with 27.6 percent of the vote, just 0.8 percentage points short of fourth-place Haaland. Mbappé received the most votes with 46 percent, Yamal received 37.4 percent. 29.5 percent of the players chose Lionel Messi, who made it into the selection for the first time since 2023 and for the 18th time.

David Raya, who became English champions with Arsenal FC last year, prevailed in goal. Two players from Champions League winners Paris St. Germain, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, are represented in defense. The three-man chain is completed by Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona), who was voted the best young professional at the World Cup. The three-man midfield consists of Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Rodri (FC Barcelona) and Vitinha (PSG).

In addition to Kane, only two other professionals from the Bundesliga, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano, were nominated. Neither made it into the selection either.

Kane scored 61 goals last season

Bayern professional Kane was awarded the Ballon d'Or at the end of October. The striker scored 61 goals for the German record champions last season and twelve for the Three Lions, six of them at the World Cup in the summer. For the World XI, the professionals should evaluate the period from August 4, 2025 to July 19, 2026.

The players don't vote on the Ballon d'Or. The prestigious award is presented by the specialist magazine “France Football” and the European Football Union Uefa. One journalist from the top 100 nations in the FIFA world rankings was eligible to vote for the final decision. The world association awards its own prize to the world footballer - but the Ballon d'Or is considered more important, especially among professionals.