Harry Kane has become the first reigning Ballon d’Or winner to miss selection for the FIFPRO Men’s World XI since the award began in 2005, according to the list released on Monday.
The Bayern Munich and England striker, crowned the world’s best player for 2026 last month, ranked fifth among attackers with 27.6 percent of the votes cast by 19,806 professional footballers worldwide.
The forward line selected instead featured Kylian Mbappé (46 percent), Lamine Yamal (37.4 percent), Lionel Messi (29.5 percent) and Erling Haaland (28.4 percent).
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano noted the historic nature of the omission, writing that it marked the first time since the FIFPRO World 11’s inception that the Ballon d’Or winner of the same year was not included.
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich during the 2025-26 season, helping the club secure a domestic league and cup double. His overall tally, including international matches, reached 73 goals. He also netted six times at the World Cup as England reached the semi-finals.
The Englishman became the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
Other notable absentees from the final XI included goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Emiliano Martinez, defenders Virgil van Dijk and William Saliba, and attackers Cristiano Ronaldo and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The FIFPRO World XI is unique among major individual football awards because it is voted for exclusively by professional players based on their peers’ performances.
