Ukrainian journalist Ihor Linnyk, who took part in Ukraine’s voting for the "2026 Ballon d’Or," surprised fans with his choice, awarding first place to Fabián Ruiz of "PSG." This is reported by L'Équipe, UNN reports.
Details
As before, Ukraine was represented in the voting for the "Ballon d’Or" award by journalist Ihor Linnyk, whose choice somewhat surprised fans. Linnyk placed Ilya Zabarnyi’s teammate at "PSG," world champion with the Spanish national team Fabián Ruiz, in first place. In second place, Linnyk put another world champion — "Barcelona" defender Pau Cubarsí.
The top three was rounded out by another "PSG" player — Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Notably, Linnyk placed Harry Kane, who won the "Ballon d’Or," ninth, while Kylian Mbappé, who finished second in the voting, did not even make Linnyk’s top 10.
The winner of the "Ballon d’Or" is selected by an international jury consisting of 100 specialized journalists, one representative from each country.
The evaluation period ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, covering both club and national-team competitions. The points scale is as follows: 15 points for first place, 12 for second, 10 for third, followed by 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point.
As UNN reported, the winner of the "Ballon d’Or" — the award for the world’s best footballer of the 2025/2026 season — was determined in London, at the Palladium Theatre. The 70th anniversary award was won by English forward Harry Kane of Munich’s "Bayern."
Harry Kane is the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner27.10.26, 00:57
The award for the best women’s footballer of the year went to "Barcelona" midfielder Alexia Putellas, who currently plays for "London City." This is the Spanish midfielder’s third "Ballon d’Or." She previously won the award in 2021 and 2022.
Journalist Kateryna Makarevska of "Suspilne Sport" voted for the women’s "Ballon d’Or." She placed Alexia Putellas first, Melchie Dumornay of "Lyon" second, and Ewa Pajor of "Barcelona" third.
Reminder
English forward Harry Kane of Munich’s "Bayern," who won the "Ballon d’Or," defeated French forward Kylian Mbappé of Madrid’s "Real" in the voting by just 28 points, the narrowest margin in the history of the award.