HARRY KANE MISSES OUT AS FIFPRO UNVEILS 2026 MEN’S WORLD XI

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The full list of the 2026 FIFPRO Men’s World XI was released on Monday, with several notable players missing from the final selection.

The team was selected through a secure voting process involving 19,806 professional male footballers worldwide.

Unlike many major individual football awards, the FIFPRO World 11 is voted for exclusively by professional footballers, who select their peers based on their performances during the season.

This year’s selection features some of the biggest names in world football, including eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé.

However, one of the biggest surprises was the omission of Harry Kane, the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.

According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who reported the development in a post on Monday, this is the first time since the award’s inception in 2005 that a reigning Ballon d’Or winner has failed to make the FIFPRO Men’s World XI.

Kane finished fifth among the attackers, securing 27.6 per cent of the votes.

The 2020 edition provides an important distinction in the award’s history. France Football cancelled the 2020 Ballon d’Or because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Lionel Messi, the 2019 winner, remained the reigning holder and was included in the 2020 FIFPRO Men’s World XI.

An infographic detailing the voting results showed Mbappé leading the attackers with 46 per cent, followed by Lamine Yamal with 37.4 per cent.

Messi finished third with 29.5 per cent, while Erling Haaland placed fourth with 28.4 per cent.

The percentages represent the proportion of the 19,806 professional footballers who included each player in their selections.

Kane made history by becoming the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

He received the award at the 70th edition of the ceremony at the London Palladium, following an outstanding 2025–26 campaign for club and country.

The Bayern Munich striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for the German club during the season, helping them secure the domestic league and cup double. His overall tally, including international matches, stood at 73 goals at the time he received the award.

The 33-year-old also scored six goals at the World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals.

Despite his remarkable individual achievements, Kane’s omission from the FIFPRO Men’s World XI highlights the distinction between winning individual honours and earning recognition from fellow professional footballers.