Croatian Ballon d'Or voter Zdravko Reic apologised for ranking Harry Kane sixth on his purported 2026 Ballon d'Or ballot. The purported ballot did not include Kane in the top five, and the official final result is not due until Saturday.
Reic admits mistake
Reic said in an interview with Croatian news outlet Vecernji list: "I have to admit now that it was a mistake. I have to admit that I was wrong to rank Kane so low."
How the purported ballot was ordered
Reic placed Kane sixth, giving him five of a possible 15 points. Reic chose Rodri as his best player, with Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Ferran Torres and Kylian Mbappe ranked from second to fifth.
When the official result will be published
GOAL reported that purported ballots from voting jury members have been appearing online since Monday evening, including one from Croatian journalist Zdravko Reic. GOAL reported that the official final result of the 2026 Ballon d'Or vote will not be published until Saturday, and that Saturday's new issue of France Football will publish the official final result, including every vote.
Who was eligible to vote
One hundred journalists from the 100 highest-ranked nations in the FIFA world rankings were eligible to vote. France Football chose one reporter to represent each country. GOAL reported that Reic has been a Ballon d'Or jury member since 1992.