Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, and Messi finishes fifth without leaving Miami
Harry Kane took the 2026 Ballon d'Or in London, Lionel Messi finished fifth without travelling and spent the day at his own youth tournament in Miami, and Inter Miami go into Wednesday's home game against FC Cincinnati third in the East.
Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on Monday night. 1 Lionel Messi finished fifth. 2 Messi stayed in Miami.
He spent the day at the Messi Cup, the under-16 tournament he runs in the city. 3 Inter Miami's next match is at home to FC Cincinnati at 7:30 on Thursday morning in Shanghai. 4
Kane is the first English winner since 2001
Kane is the first Englishman to take the award since Michael Owen in 2001. 5
He scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England last season. 6
"Being here in London has made it extra special," Kane said. "I can imagine it was tough this year." 5
This was the 70th edition and the first held outside France. London was chosen as a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the Englishman who won the first award in 1956. 7
The order behind him
Kylian Mbappé finished second, Lamine Yamal third and Rodri fourth. 8
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia was sixth, then Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, and Fabián Ruiz in tenth. 8
The jury was one journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking. Each juror ranked ten players, and first place was worth 15 points. 9
The season under review ran from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026. 9 The 25 MLS goals Messi has scored this autumn fell outside it.
Where fifth place sits in his record
It is the second time Messi has finished fifth, after 2018, and only the third time he has ended outside the top three. 2
He has won the award eight times, and this was his 17th nomination. 10
His case rested on the World Cup. Argentina finished as runners-up, and Messi scored eight goals in his last World Cup. 2
Lautaro Martínez was 22nd, and Emiliano Martínez finished fifth in the Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers. 10
The night he spent in Miami
Messi stayed in Miami. Infobae reported that the past ten days had taken him from Atlanta to Miami, Oviedo and New Jersey, and back again. 3
The Messi Cup is the second edition of his under-16 tournament, run with his production company 525 Rosario. Sixteen clubs play it, Barcelona and Chelsea among them, from 25 October to 1 November. 11
He opened it by telling the players to enjoy the tournament beyond the result, to compete, and to make friends from different countries. 12
Then he remembered the translator waiting beside him. "Sorry, I forgot you have to translate it," he said. "I made it very long, didn't I?" 12
On Monday, before Boca Juniors played UE Cornellá, the club gave him a No. 10 shirt with his name on the back. He posed with Blas Giunta, the Boca idol who coaches its under-16 team. 13
Newell's Old Boys, where he came through the youth system, wore shirts reading "Gracias, Leo" in their 1-0 win over Arsenal. 12
Rodrigo De Paul sat with him for River Plate's 0-0 draw with Chelsea. On Sunday he watched his son Mateo score in Inter Miami's under-12 win in the Legends Cup. 312
Wednesday is where any of this turns
Cincinnati visit Nu Stadium on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 on Thursday morning in Shanghai. 4
Miami are third in the East on 55 points from 31 games. They are level with New England, who have 17 wins to Miami's 15, and MLS settles a points tie on total wins first. 1415
New England host the Red Bulls at the same hour, so second place can change hands that night. 4
Maximiliano Falcón is available again after suspension, which puts Casemiro back in midfield. 16
After Cincinnati, Miami visit New England on 1 November and host Charlotte on 7 November. 4
The Golden Boot is still three
Messi has 25 goals in 28 league appearances. Petar Musa of FC Dallas has 22. 17
Dallas host the Columbus Crew on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 on Thursday morning in Shanghai. 4
What to watch
| What | ET | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Inter Miami v FC Cincinnati, home 4 | Wed 28 Oct, 7:30 p.m. | Thu 29 Oct, 7:30 a.m. |
| New England Revolution v Red Bull New York 4 | Wed 28 Oct, 7:30 p.m. | Thu 29 Oct, 7:30 a.m. |
| FC Dallas v Columbus Crew 4 | Wed 28 Oct, 8:30 p.m. | Thu 29 Oct, 8:30 a.m. |
| Inter Miami at New England Revolution 4 | Sun 1 Nov, 7:00 p.m. | Mon 2 Nov, 8:00 a.m. |
| Inter Miami v Charlotte FC, home 4 | Sat 7 Nov, 4:00 p.m. | Sun 8 Nov, 5:00 a.m. |
Clocks in the United States go back on 1 November, which is why the last two rows shift by an extra hour.
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4MLS scoreboard, 28 October 2026
site.api.espn.com
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Ballon d'Or 2026: Rankings, nominees and more
cbssports.com
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13Messi posó con la de Boca junto a Giunta
tycsports.com
- 14MLS Standings
espn.com
- 15MLS Competition Guidelines
mlssoccer.com
- 16Inter Miami: las claves para corregir su defensa
clarosports.com
- 17MLS Stats, 2026 Season
espn.com
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