🚨| The Ballon d’Or Has a Credibility Problem And That’s My Biggest Takeaway from the 2026 Ceremony Football is cruel sometimes man but the thing about football is that you can disagree with an outcome and still respect the player who wins it. That is exactly how I feel after watching the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony. Over the last few years, we have seen Karim Benzema, Rodri, Ousmane Dembélé and now Harry Kane take home the men’s Ballon d’Or. These are all outstanding footballers who have produced exceptional seasons, and nobody should have to diminish their achievements to make a case for somebody else. Congratulations to every winner. But I keep coming back to one question: Are we genuinely rewarding the best individual footballer of the season, or are we rewarding the player whose performances, trophies, reputation and narrative combine to make the strongest case in the eyes of the voters? Because those are not always the same thing. For years, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have been among the most prolific and influential attacking players in world football. Their consistency, goalscoring records and ability to decide matches have made them central figures in the modern game. Yet neither has won the men’s Ballon d’Or. Mbappé finished the 2025/26 campaign with 58 goals for club and country, according to the pre-ceremony statistical breakdown published by Sky Sports. Haaland, meanwhile, has repeatedly demonstrated that he belongs in conversations about the most devastating goalscorers in football. And yet, the ultimate individual recognition has continued to elude them. My argument is not that either player should automatically win simply because of his reputation or goal tally. Football is more complicated than that. The quality of the opposition, performances in decisive matches, team success, creativity, consistency and the overall contribution to a team's season all matter. But when players of this calibre repeatedly miss out, it is fair to question how the award is decided and whether the criteria are applied consistently. Mbappé and Haaland have given us seasons that would have made them serious candidates in many different eras. The fact that neither has won the award is one of the most fascinating talking points surrounding the modern Ballon d’Or. Let me be clear: Harry Kane has every right to celebrate this achievement. The Bayern Munich and England striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern across all competitions during 2025/26, helping the German side secure a domestic league and cup double. He finished the season with 73 goals for club and country, including six goals as England reached the World Cup semi-finals. Those are extraordinary numbers. Kane also became the first Englishman to win the men’s Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001. That is a historic achievement, and his individual output provides a compelling case for his victory. So, no, this is not about claiming Kane did not deserve recognition. He delivered an exceptional season. My frustration is with the wider system and the way we discuss individual awards. If goals, trophies and consistency are decisive in one season, how should they be weighed against other players' all-round contributions in another? How much should reputation matter? How much should a player's biggest moments influence the final decision? These questions deserve proper debate rather than blind acceptance of whoever lifts the trophy. The Ballon d’Or is decided by journalists, using the award’s published criteria. That does not automatically make the process illegitimate, and there is no evidence that a particular winner was selected through improper influence. However, journalists are human beings. They have opinions, perspectives and different interpretations of what constitutes the best individual season.