Messi Tops First-Place Votes from Six Countries in 2026 Ballon d'Or

The voting results for the 2026 Ballon d'Or revealed a notable contrast between Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembélé, with Messi finishing fifth overall but receiving first-place votes from six countries. Voters from Brazil, Argentina, Panama, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, and China placed Messi first despite him not finishing in the top four. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 winner, ranked seventh overall and was placed second by voters from seven countries—Burkina Faso, China, France, Georgia, Haiti, North Macedonia, and Nigeria—but did not receive any first-place votes. In voting details, China ranked Kylian Mbappé fifth, while a voter from Paraguay placed him third. Across Africa, nine out of twenty countries voted Mbappé as their top choice. Erling Haaland did not receive any first-place votes but was ranked second by voters from Croatia, Northern Ireland, and Norway. Michael Olise was the only journalist from Curaçao to place a player first in their vote.