The full voting breakdown for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award revealed U.S. journalist Paul Kennedy voted for World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri to win soccer’s most prestigious individual prize.

Every year, journalists from FIFA’s member associations across the globe pick their top 10 finishers for the Ballon d’Or award. A certain number of points comes with each place—every first place vote translates to 15 points, for instance—and the player with the most total points is crowned the new Ballon d’Or winner.

The jurors have the ultimate say, and this year, they chose Harry Kane to join the exclusive club of soccer’s best. The England international beat out runner-up Kylian Mbappé by just 28 points .

Interestingly, Kennedy did not award first or second place to either player in his rankings. The U.S. juror instead voted for Rodri in first place and Lionel Messi in second.

A heavy World Cup influence shines through Kennedy’s votes.…