Harry Kane misses out on FIFPRO World XI despite winning Ballon d'Or

The full list of the 2026 FIFPRO Men’s World XI came out on Monday. Some big names were not included in the selection.

The team was picked through a secure voting process that involved 19,806 professional men’s footballers around the world.

The FIFPRO World XI is unique among major football awards. It is voted for only by professional footballers, who choose their peers based on how they played.

This year’s men’s World XI included some of the biggest stars in football. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé were among them.

But one big name was missing: Harry Kane, the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner. This broke a 21-year run.

Since the start of the FIFPRO 11 in 2005, this is the first time a current Ballon d’Or winner is not in the Team of the Year. This was shared in a Monday tweet by football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Kane was ranked 5th among the attackers, getting 27.6% of the votes.

It is important to mention that France Football cancelled the 2020 Ballon d’Or because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This affected football calendars across many leagues. Matches were played without fans.

Even though no Ballon d’Or was given in 2020, Lionel Messi, who won in 2019, was still the reigning holder. He was included in the 2020 FIFPRO Men’s World 11.

An infographic showed how the votes went for each player. Mbappé got the most votes with 46%, followed by Lamine Yamal at 37.4%.

Messi came third with 29.5%, and Erling Haaland finished fourth with 28.4%.

These percentages show how many of the 19,806 professional footballers picked each player in their choices.

Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich, became the first Englishman to win football’s top individual award since Michael Owen in 2001.

He received the award at the 70th edition of the ceremony at the London Palladium. This marked a great end to his 2025, 26 season with club and country.

Kane scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern during the season, helping the club win both the domestic league and cup. His total goals, including international matches, reached 73 when he won the award.

The 33-year-old also netted six goals at the World Cup, where England made it to the semi-finals.

Despite his great personal achievements this season, Kane not being in the FIFPRO Men’s World XI shows a rare case in the award's history. It highlights the difference between individual awards and how fellow players see you.