Spain's Ballon d'Or representative José Félix Díaz ranked Kylian Mbappé first in his 2026 ballot, ahead of Spanish star Lamine Yamal in second and eventual winner Harry Kane in third. The AS journalist said he preferred Mbappé for his consistency and goalscoring performances across multiple major competitions. Kane ultimately won with 1,055 points, ahead of Mbappé's 1,027 and Yamal's 881.