Esteban Ferreyra Questions Ballon d’Or Double Standards After Harry Kane’s Triumph

Atlético Sierra Dorada coach Esteban Ferreyra has questioned the consistency of criticism surrounding the Ballon d’Or after Harry Kane was named the world’s best player at the 2026 ceremony. Kane claimed the award on October 26, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal in the final rankings.

The England captain was rewarded for an exceptional 2025/26 campaign with Bayern Munich and the national team, during which he scored 73 goals across club and international football.

However, Kane secured the honour without winning either the World Cup or the Champions League, a detail Ferreyra believes exposes inconsistencies in how Ballon d’Or victories are assessed. The Argentine coach compared Kane’s success with Lionel Messi’s controversial eighth Ballon d’Or triumph in 2023.

“Harry Kane wins the Ballon d’Or without a World Cup or Champions League, and nobody cries robbery,” Ferreyra said. “But when Messi won it in 2023 as a world champion, they claimed Haaland was robbed. Now Yamal gets snubbed for Kane, and these hypocrites are silent.”

Ferreyra argued that critics who questioned Messi’s victory were not applying the same standards to Kane’s achievement. “​​Their problem was never fairness. It was always Messi,” he added. Yamal finished third in the final voting despite being widely regarded as a serious contender for the award. The Barcelona forward was, however, recognised as the recipient of the Men’s Young Talent of the Year prize.

The ceremony was also overshadowed by confusion after articles naming Kane, Mbappé and Yamal as winners appeared prematurely on the Ballon d’Or website. Organisers later said nominee profiles had been published accidentally and did not reflect the final results.

Ferreyra’s comments have reignited debate over the criteria used to determine football’s most prestigious individual award. Whether or not fans agree with his assessment, his argument has placed renewed focus on consistency, credibility and the differing standards applied to Ballon d’Or winners.