Cucurella: these two players are more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than Kane

Asked by Spanish programme "El Chiringuito" whether Kane's Ballon d'Or win was unfair, Cucurella said: "No, I can't say it was unfair, because if you look at his numbers, you'll find they are numbers he may not be able to repeat again. In that sense, he had an exceptional season."

He added: "But personally I would have given it to Mbappé or Lamine Yamal, because in the end they are the type of players I turn on the television to watch, as a football fan, do you understand what I mean?"

"It's not that Kane didn't deserve the award," he continued, "but I must admit that I was a little surprised by the result."

The debate over Kane's 2026 Ballon d'Or rumbles on, and the Spaniard's words add fuel to it. Mbappé and Yamal made for stiff competition, finishing second and third in the final vote.

Kane collected 1,055 points for Bayern Munich, just 28 clear of Mbappé on 1,027. Yamal came third with 881. The margin between first and second was razor thin.

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Crowned at the ceremony in London on 26 October, Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001, and the fifth in England's history to manage the feat.

His coronation followed an exceptional campaign in front of goal. The striker scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich across all competitions.

Add in 12 goals for England and his total climbs to 73 in 65 matches for club and country.

Kane also drove Bayern to three domestic trophies in 2025-2026, reclaiming the league title and lifting the German Cup and the Super Cup. He struck 14 times in the Champions League too, despite the club's semi-final exit.

Mbappé enjoyed a strong season of his own with Real Madrid and France, pushing Kane closest of all for the award. He fell 28 points short in second. Yamal, meanwhile, underlined his standing among the game's biggest stars, taking third place and the world's best young player prize.

Third for the Spain international came a year after he finished runner-up behind France's Ousmane Dembélé, keeping him in the top three despite his tender age.

Mbappé is still chasing the first Ballon d'Or of his career. He came within touching distance in 2026, only for Kane to edge the race by the slimmest of margins.