Ballon d'Or winner Kane left out of FIFPro Team of the Year

Kane won the Ballon d'Or two weeks ago but was excluded from the FIFPro Team of the Year, voted by players, which features Mbappé, Yamal, Messi and Haaland in attack.

Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or triumph has been undermined by his peers. The Bayern Munich striker, who won football's most prestigious individual award just over two weeks ago, was notably absent from the FIFPro Team of the Year announced Monday night.

The players' vote produced an unusual 3-3-4 formation with a four-man attack: Kylian Mbappé (runner-up in the Ballon d'Or), Lamine Yamal (third), Lionel Messi (fifth) and Erling Haaland (eighth). Midfield support comes from Jude Bellingham, Rodri and Vitinha, while the defence features Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes flanking Spain's Pau Cubarsi, who was also named Golden Boy. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya completes the XI.

Kane's exclusion is striking given his 73-goal haul last season earned him the Ballon d'Or by 28 points over Mbappé—one of the smallest margins in the award's history. Mbappé, despite being the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and World Cup history, was penalised by his lack of trophies in 2025-26.