“That was a mistake!”: Ballon d’Or juror regrets his vote for Kane
Story updated
The story in brief
12-second readHarry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, bringing the award to FC Bayern for the first time in 45 years, despite not being highly ranked by all voters initially. Croatian sports journalist Zdravko Reić, a longtime voter, ranked Kane sixth on his list.
The full picture
Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, bringing the award to FC Bayern for the first time in 45 years, despite not being highly ranked by all voters initially. Croatian sports journalist Zdravko Reić, a longtime voter, ranked Kane sixth on his list. Reić has since admitted to regretting his vote, stating it was a mistake to rank Kane so low. Reić's criteria were based on performances at the 2026 World Cup.
Reić's voting was influenced by the 2026 World Cup, with Rodri ranked first due to being a key player for Spain and the best player of the World Cup. Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi followed in second and third place, respectively. Kane's sixth-place ranking was despite his strong performances throughout the evaluation period. Reić's criteria prioritized World Cup performances over Champions League and national competition results.
Reić defended his stance, believing decisive World Cup matches should be valued more than club season performances. He cited his 2010 Ballon d'Or vote for Andrés Iniesta over Lionel Messi as an example. The difference in prioritization among jurors is highlighted by Reić's focus on the World Cup, while Kane won over most voters with his overall individual performances and team successes.
At a glance
- Reporting status
- Reported
- Original publisher
- FCBinside ↗
- Source published
- Clubs covered
- Bayern Munich
Attributed publisher reporting. Kickjolly has not independently confirmed the claim.
Source context
Harry Kane prevailed over international competition at the 2026 Ballon d’Or, bringing the Golden Ball back to FC Bayern for the first time in 45 years. But apparently, not all voters were convinced by the Englishman’s performances from the start. A longtime voter has now even publicly admitted to having underrated Kane in his vote. Croatian sports journalist Zdravko Reić, who has represented his country in the Ballon d’Or voting since 1992, ranked the Bayern striker only sixth on his personal list.
Source excerpt · FCBinside
Read original report ↗THE NEXT STORY STARTS HERE
Keep reading
More stories connected to this one. Find your next talking point.
Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane highlights Lamine Yamal’s incredible rise: ‘When I was his age, I was on loan’
Harry Kane praised Lamine Yamal after Yamal finished third in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, highlighting their different career paths at the same age. Kane, who won the Ballon…
Barca Universal
‘That’s how it should be’ — Juventus boss lauds Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win
Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti has thrown his support behind Bayern Munich’s superstar, describing Harry Kane’s victory as the logical outcome given his extraordinary…
Bavarian Football Works
After his Ballon d’Or triumph: Will Kane now be knighted?
Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory has sparked immense excitement not only at FC Bayern but also in his native England, where the 33-year-old is being celebrated. Now, the…
FCBinside
After his Ballon d’Or triumph: Is Kane the best Bayern striker of all time?
By winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Harry Kane has finally secured his place in Bayern Munich’s history.
FCBinside
Bayern Munich’s assistant coach Aaron Danks doesn’t think there was a hidden message in Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or speech
Bayern Munich assistant coach Aaron Danks is not buying that interpretation, though.
Bavarian Football Works
Bayern Munich releases celebratory kit for Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win
Harry Kane is officially the best player in the world, and Bayern Munich is making sure nobody forgets it anytime soon.
Bavarian Football WorksThe stands
0 commentsHave your say. Keep it about football. Guest comments are reviewed before appearing publicly.
Be the first to start the conversation.