Kylian Mbappé Finishes Second at Ballon d’Or; Bellingham 11th
Kylian Mbappé placed second in the Ballon d'Or rankings with Jude Bellingham finishing 11th.
LONDON, Oct 27: Kylian Mbappé secured second place at the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the London Palladium, with the award going to Harry Kane of Bayern Munich. This marks the first time the prestigious event was hosted in London.
Mbappé, representing Real Madrid, was the only player from the club to make the top ten, while Jude Bellingham narrowly missed the cut, finishing in 11th place. Vinícius Júnior came in 17th, just ahead of Marc Cucurella.
Real Madrid returned to the ceremony after skipping the last two years, previously boycotting the event due to dissatisfaction with the voting process. This time, they had a strong contender in Mbappé, who ultimately fell short to Kane.
Harry Kane, who ended a 25-year wait for an English winner of the Ballon d’Or, expressed his gratitude after receiving the award, citing the importance of the moment for English football.
The celebratory atmosphere was tempered by challenges, including a 45-minute delay caused by traffic disruptions near the venue. Some audience members expressed their frustration, leading to disruptions during the ceremony.
The Ballon d’Or spokesperson later clarified that the early announcement of winners on the event’s website was accidental and not indicative of the final results.
Former Real Madrid player Guti raised concerns about the voting legitimacy, suggesting that the timing of the ceremony and Kane’s victory was suspicious. He noted that Kane’s surprised reaction when announced as the winner raised questions about the process.
The voting was reported to have been exceptionally close, with France Football’s editor confirming that the margin between Kane and Mbappé was very narrow. The competition is expected to intensify in the coming season as both players seek to build on their successes.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.