Harry Kane has missed out on the 2026 FIFPRO Men's World 11 despite winning the Ballon d’Or just two weeks earlier. The Bayern Munich and England striker was among the 26 finalists but failed to secure enough votes from fellow professionals to make the team.
The omission is striking given Kane's remarkable 2025-26 campaign. However, the two awards use different voting systems: journalists decide the Ballon d’Or, while professional footballers select the FIFPRO World 11.
How The FIFPRO World 11 is Decided
FIFPRO, the global players' union, announced the 2026 Men's World 11 on 9 November. A total of 19,806 professional footballers from 73 countries took part in the vote, making it the only global football award decided exclusively by active players.
Kane made the 26-man shortlist alongside Bayern Munich teammate Michael Olise, but neither secured a place in the final XI.
The selection process awards places to the highest-voted goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. The remaining position goes to the outfield player with the highest overall vote, which resulted in a fourth forward being selected this year.
| Position | 2026 FIFPRO Men's World 11 |
| Goalkeeper | David Raya |
| Defence | Achraf Hakimi, Pau Cubarsí, Nuno Mendes |
| Midfield | Rodri, Vitinha, Jude Bellingham |
| Attack | Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland |
The forward category was particularly competitive. Kane was up against established names including Mbappé, Haaland, Messi, Yamal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Olise.
Why Kane Missed Out
The voting figures show how narrowly Kane missed selection.
According to figures reported by German outlet Die Glocke, he finished fifth among forwards with 27.6 per cent of the vote, just 0.8 percentage points behind Haaland, who received 28.4 per cent.
Mbappé led the category with 46 per cent, followed by Yamal on 37.4 per cent and Messi on 29.5 per cent. Haaland secured the fourth forward position, leaving Kane just outside the team.
Kane's fifth-place finish came despite an outstanding season. He scored 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern Munich and England during the 2025-26 campaign, including 61 for his club and 12 internationally. He also won the Gerd Müller Trophy as Men's Striker of the Year.
His goals helped Bayern retain the Bundesliga title, while he captained England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. Those achievements earned him the Ballon d’Or on 26 October, making him the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
What The Snub Really Means
Kane's omission has been described as unprecedented. According to Sky Sports, he is the first Ballon d’Or winner since the FIFPRO World 11 was introduced in 2005 to miss out on selection in the same year.
The difference between the awards lies in who decides the winners. The Ballon d’Or is determined by an international jury of journalists, while the FIFPRO World 11 reflects the choices of professional footballers.
Their selections can differ because of the players they favour and the competition for places in each position. Kane's omission does not diminish his Ballon d’Or achievement or his goalscoring record.
He finished just 0.8 percentage points behind Haaland in the forward vote, showing how close he came to making the team.
